Voices from the Margin: Ethnic, Cultural, and Social Minorities in Japanese Literature (in English)

In this course we will explore how modern and contemporary Japanese writers articulate identities that are marginal in terms of ethnicity, sexuality, and/or socio-economic status. We will not only “listen” to individual voices of the “outsiders” through reading selected literary works, but also grasp corresponding social contexts wherein policies, debates, as well as movements related to those living on the margins have taken place. The course requires that students engage in close reading and analysis of literary fiction and criticism. By the end of the course, students will have acquired knowledge of minority groups in contemporary Japan, as well as the skill of critical literary analysis.Taught in English.