1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910791121403321

Autore

Murakami Fuminobu <1951-, >

Titolo

The strong and the weak in Japanese literature : discrimination, egalitarianism, nationalism / / Fuminobu Murakami

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Milton Park, Abingdon ; ; New York : , : Routledge, , 2010

ISBN

1-136-97051-7

1-136-97052-5

1-282-62954-9

9786612629549

0-203-85159-5

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (206 p.)

Collana

Routledge advances in Asia-Pacific studies ; ; 11

Disciplina

895.6/09

Soggetti

Japanese literature - History and criticism

Literature and society - Japan - History

National characteristics, Japanese, in literature

Power (Social sciences) in literature

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Description based upon print version of record.

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Nota di contenuto

Book Cover; Title; Copyright; Contents; Preface; 1 Introduction; 2 The strong and the weak in Japanese religious, philosophical and political writings; 3 Ugly ladies in The Tale of Genji; 4 Women, humble men and insulted people in The Tale of the Heike; 5 Sacrifice and revenge, love and war, and a world without violence in The Eight Dog Chronicles; 6 Dancing girl, geisha, mistress and wife in Kawabata Yasunari's stories: The Dancing Girl of Izu, Snow Country, Thousand Cranes and The Sound of the Mountain; 7 Conclusion; Notes; Bibliography; Index

Sommario/riassunto

This book uses texts from classical to modern Japanese literature to examine concepts of 'respect for the strong', as a notion of an evolutionary society, and 'sympathy for the weak', as a notion of a non-violent and changeless egalitarian society. The term strong refers not just to those with strength and power. It also includes other ideal attributes such as beauty, youth and goodness. Similarly, the term weak implies not only the weak and infirm, but also the disadvantaged, the indecent, the unsophisticated and those generally shunned by



society. The former are associated not only with t