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Literature and Consciousness of Woman's Identity

This document discusses the development of literature by women in the Meiji era in Japan. It summarizes that [1] the first creative works by women after this period began were literary works, not political campaigns. [2] An influential early novel was Bush Warbler in 1888, which provided women economic independence through writing when other occupations were closed to them. [3] Higuchi Ichiyo was a prominent female writer of the era, publishing novels about daily life from a lower-class perspective before dying at age 25. [4] Yosano Akiko expressed both Western ideas of respecting virginity and traditional Japanese sentimentality in her poems, critiquing social norms of the time.

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40 views1 page

Literature and Consciousness of Woman's Identity

This document discusses the development of literature by women in the Meiji era in Japan. It summarizes that [1] the first creative works by women after this period began were literary works, not political campaigns. [2] An influential early novel was Bush Warbler in 1888, which provided women economic independence through writing when other occupations were closed to them. [3] Higuchi Ichiyo was a prominent female writer of the era, publishing novels about daily life from a lower-class perspective before dying at age 25. [4] Yosano Akiko expressed both Western ideas of respecting virginity and traditional Japanese sentimentality in her poems, critiquing social norms of the time.

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Airen Desu
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Literature and Consciousness of Woman’s Identity

The first creation activity by woman after the Meiji era began

By the way, the consciousness of woman’s identity developed by not political campaign

but literary movement among women at the Meiji era.

At the Meiji era the creation activity by woman developed for the first time.

The novel Yabu no Uguisu “Bush warbler” written by Tanabe Kaho in 1888 is typical. This novel

came up not as literature but as means that woman could be independent economically when

there was no freedom of the woman’s occupation. 22

Higuchi Ichiy The best female writer at the Meiji era

Higuchi Ichiy (1872-1896) had studied in the “Haginoya” tanka poetry school

established by Nakajima Utako as well as Tanabe Kaho. Higuchi came from lower class samurai.

She wrote novels as means of subsistence.

She wrote many novels for example Takekurabe “The Stature Comparison”, Nigorie, and

Jusany “13 night”, 13ya until dying of sickness when she was 25 years old. The feature of
Higuchi is resignation.

Yosano Akiko Two characters of respect to virginity like Western European and Japanese

sentimentalism

Yosano Akiko (1878-1942) expressed up the consciousness of individuality and the

liberating sensuality from a feudal and patriarchal system and morality in Midaregami “Untidy

hair” in 1901.
Moreover Yosano criticized the Russo-Japanese war in Ot to yo, Kimi Shini tamou koto

nakare “My younger brother, please not die” in 1904. She pointed out the irrationality of the
death for the nation and wished her younger brother would come back without dying. There

seems the Japanese sentimentalism.

On the other hands, there seems the Western Europe virgin worship in her other poems

for example Shiratama Otome “The girl like a white gem”. In “Shiratama Otome”, woman’s

virginity is compared to a crystal gem without one dirt. Feelings of the woman who make a boast

of virginity are symbolized in a crystal gem.

When I see an elegant appearance where crystal is purely transparent, My tears fall / Crystal

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