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The main purpose of this research is to explore Japanese writer Nobuo Kojima’s points of view toward family through Embracing Family. In order to study the relationship between literature and society in the 1960’s, the motif and the orientation of Embracing Family is analyzed extensively. Kojima became famous in the 60’s literary world because this particular work was praised highly by Zyun Etô. The author believes that we can observe the images and metaphors of a family in the post-war Japan through Embracing Family more clearly than in any other literary works in this period.
This story is about the Miwa family. Shunsuke’s wife Tokiko has an affair with an American, which brings much of the tension in the family out in the open, but does not tear the family apart. He tries to recover the original condition and took some measures such as moving their house, changing maids, inviting others to live with them, only to find no changes in the underlying state of affairs. He then finds his wife dying of breast cancer and Miwa family in a mess. He approaches several women to fill that specific role as someone he can love. However, he tried hard only to fail. His son, Ryoichi, ran away from home in the very ending part of the story.
The first chapter of this thesis introduces the Japan’s society trying to achieve the higher economic growth in 1960’s; the cities being developed and new lifestyles thriving, etc. Against the background of the material prosperity, “The fable of family” is pervaded easily and speedily. The second chapter discusses the change of family image from Meiji period to the1960s. In the third chapter, prior researches and criticisms on Embracing Family including Kojima’s writing style and his thoughts are analyzed. The audience could feel the weakness of a human nature from Kojima’s dark humor and the sense of comic confusion. The fourth chapter discusses the implications of this novel’s seeming conclusion that people are not adhering to their assigned and traditional roles any more but have to live in a general sense of disorder. Tokiko is a dominant woman and she does not like Shunsuke’s ideal. She holds the view of a family which is more realistic and actual.
This thesis concludes Kojima has a keen awareness of the “The fable of family”. In Embracing Family, Shunsuke isn’t very strong-willed and he can’t break with his wife no matter what. Whatever happens to the Miwa family, he still wants to embrace it. Kojima describes his hero as having his weaknesses and openly admitting them but never giving up trying to protect his family. The author believes Kojima’s essential thought lies in this characterization.
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