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Suicidal Narrative in Modern Japan: The Case of Dazai Osamu
Dazai Osamu (1909-1948) is one of Japan's most famous literary suicides, known as the earliest postwar manifestation of the genuinely alienated writer in Japan. In this first deconstructive reading of a modern Japanese novelist, Alan Wolfe draws on contemporary Western literary and cultural theories and on a knowledge of Dazai's work in the context of Japanese literary history to provide a fresh view of major texts by this important literary figure. In the process, Wolfe revises Japanese as well as Western scholarship on Dazai and discovers new connections among suicide, autobiography, alienation, and modernization. As shown here, Dazai's writings resist narrative and historical closure; while he may be said to serve the Japanese literary establishment as both romantic decadent and representative scapegoat, his texts reveal a deconstructive edge through which his posthumous status as a monument of negativity is already perceived and undone. Wolfe maintains that cultural modernization pits a Western concept of the individual as realized self and coherent subject against an Eastern absent self--and that a felt need to overcome this tension inspires the autobiographical fiction so prevalent in Japanese novels. Suicidal Narrative in Modern Japan shows that Dazai's texts also resist readings that would resolve the gaps (East/West, self/other, modern/premodern) still prevalent in Japanese intellectual life.
Originally published in 1990.
The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.
Originally published in 1990.
The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.
264 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1990
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
January 23, 2008
Japan's Osamu Dazai is probably one of my favorite writers and this book is in a sense a critical study on his work .... as well as his suicide. In a bigger sense he was the total opposite of someone like Yukio Mishima. A generation part, and yet so different ... at least on the surface.
Dazai was a drunk, drug addict, girl chasing hedonist. Mishima found that disgusting. Also Dazai of his time was probably one of the most respected living author - especially for young people. Mishima in a sense based his own identity as sort of the anti- Dazai. He will build his body up with muscles, have pride in his public 'face,' as well as being a leader of sorts.
When Mishima was the rising literary star he went to a party for Dazai, where a lot of famous writers of the time plus leading critics were in attendence. Mishima walked up to Dazai in front of a crowd, introduced himself, and then told him to his face that he's not a good writer.
This of course was a shocking thing to do in a party honoring a guest of sorts, and especially in Japan. While everyone was gasping over Mishima's remark, Dazai just looked at him and said outloud "He's only saying that because he loves me."
Mishima was struck my his comment or backline that he became speechless. Because the truth is Mishima indeed love Dazai and his work. For him to make a statement or attack in such a public form, meant of course he admired Dazai.
Mishima never forgot that meeting and it was reported in one of his bios that he talked about it a week or a matter of days before his own spectacular suicide.
Dazai in the late 40's killed himself by drowning with a young lover (girl) in a river not far off from Tokyo. A romantic to the end.....
Dazai was a drunk, drug addict, girl chasing hedonist. Mishima found that disgusting. Also Dazai of his time was probably one of the most respected living author - especially for young people. Mishima in a sense based his own identity as sort of the anti- Dazai. He will build his body up with muscles, have pride in his public 'face,' as well as being a leader of sorts.
When Mishima was the rising literary star he went to a party for Dazai, where a lot of famous writers of the time plus leading critics were in attendence. Mishima walked up to Dazai in front of a crowd, introduced himself, and then told him to his face that he's not a good writer.
This of course was a shocking thing to do in a party honoring a guest of sorts, and especially in Japan. While everyone was gasping over Mishima's remark, Dazai just looked at him and said outloud "He's only saying that because he loves me."
Mishima was struck my his comment or backline that he became speechless. Because the truth is Mishima indeed love Dazai and his work. For him to make a statement or attack in such a public form, meant of course he admired Dazai.
Mishima never forgot that meeting and it was reported in one of his bios that he talked about it a week or a matter of days before his own spectacular suicide.
Dazai in the late 40's killed himself by drowning with a young lover (girl) in a river not far off from Tokyo. A romantic to the end.....
November 5, 2021
Brilliant! Informative, eloquent, and thorough, gives a lot of insight into Japanese culture and history - both the literary scene and a broader picture.
October 9, 2018
2/5 stars
From the title I expected more content about Dazai Osamu and his life and works in regard to his suicide attempts and final lover's suicide. There is a lot more content about Japanese literature and the "I-novel" genre, comparisons between the suicides of Kawabata/Mishima/Akutagawa/Natsume's character in Kokoro and sometimes Dazai, and analysis of Dazai's work with the exception of No Longer Human. Honestly, leaving out Dazai's famed No Longer Human, that is commonly regarded as his will or suicide note to the world, but discussing Mishima Yukio's final work in his Sea of Fertility series was incredibly anti-climatic for me.
The style of writing is very intellectual and it is obvious that the author knows what they are talking about. They make their arguments very concisely and give plenty of outside evidence. This requires a close read if you want to understand it completely. It is difficult at times to follow because the author will use quotes, references, or terms not yet explained in the text. When they were explained later it made sense, but I frequently felt like I was missing important information in the first half the book.
There is a heavier emphasis on Dazai in the later half of the book, but the first half discusses famous suicides in modern Japanese literature and specific literary schools. Because of this I felt the subtitle for the book was misleading (but it was more accurate for the last half, with the exception of the lack of analysis on No Longer Human). This is a splendid analysis of the suicidal narrative in modern Japan, but I was not as impressed with the analysis of Dazai Osamu and the theme of suicide in his life and works.
From the title I expected more content about Dazai Osamu and his life and works in regard to his suicide attempts and final lover's suicide. There is a lot more content about Japanese literature and the "I-novel" genre, comparisons between the suicides of Kawabata/Mishima/Akutagawa/Natsume's character in Kokoro and sometimes Dazai, and analysis of Dazai's work with the exception of No Longer Human. Honestly, leaving out Dazai's famed No Longer Human, that is commonly regarded as his will or suicide note to the world, but discussing Mishima Yukio's final work in his Sea of Fertility series was incredibly anti-climatic for me.
The style of writing is very intellectual and it is obvious that the author knows what they are talking about. They make their arguments very concisely and give plenty of outside evidence. This requires a close read if you want to understand it completely. It is difficult at times to follow because the author will use quotes, references, or terms not yet explained in the text. When they were explained later it made sense, but I frequently felt like I was missing important information in the first half the book.
There is a heavier emphasis on Dazai in the later half of the book, but the first half discusses famous suicides in modern Japanese literature and specific literary schools. Because of this I felt the subtitle for the book was misleading (but it was more accurate for the last half, with the exception of the lack of analysis on No Longer Human). This is a splendid analysis of the suicidal narrative in modern Japan, but I was not as impressed with the analysis of Dazai Osamu and the theme of suicide in his life and works.
December 9, 2023
Suicidal Narrative in Modern Japan: The case of Dazai Osamu , is a monograph written by
Alan Wolfe and published by Princeton University in 1990. In this academic work, the literature about suicide is analyzed, focusing on Japanese literary texts and, as the title already conveys, Dazai Osamus' case of study. The author covers and exposes several judgements of both “Western Western” and Japanese intellectuals in his prose throughout the text, providing us perspectives not only about suicide in literature, but covering come up topics such as the littératuricide , the suicidal author, the autobiography, the modernization (and post modernization) and the alienation.
It could also be described as a comparative work, considering Wolfe’s commenting several sources each with their own discourse and with the author’s original dissertation . An illustrative example is the contrast between Mishima’s suicide, based in control and nationalistic ideals and Dazai’s, regarding an incapability of control and a certain hopelessness . Even though both deaths are presented as a dichotomy , they end up not being so different in the author’s final view.
For a more in depth information about the development of the subject s covered I will divide
them in three main topics: the history , literature and social tendencies of Japan, the literature of suicide, and Dazai Osamu.
About the first category, the author deals with the post war period in Japan, s panning from the 30's to well into the 40's . Though briefly, in his discourse about modernism and modernist tendencies and perspectives he also deals with Meiji Era and Post Modernism. The influence of Western literature and Western individualism is developed, as so does the construction of the self and literary studies in a hybrid Japanese and Western way ; the Japanese I novel is an example of this phenomenon. Opposing academic opinions are exposed in order to discuss the previous points. Social characteristics, such as the material difficulties of the post war, Marxism, tenko, and the American Occupation are, besides, mentioned throughout the text and related to the other two main topics of the book.
Regarding the literature of suicide: Dazai’s work are balm for some and poison for others. All literature is like that to a certain extent; Dazai’s cause is an extreme extreme. This quote, referring to the pharmakon quality of literature, adequately illustrates one of the ideas t he reader may procure when reading Su icidal Narratives in Modern Japan Furthermore, Sylvia Plath, an author who committed suicide and wrote literature on the subject , is mentioned . However, more than her, A. Alvarez and his work The Savage God are analyzed hence introducing the littératuricide in the Wolfe’s text several ways of suicide (even beyond the physical death) and their conceptions are further explained. Additionally , Wolfe covers the autobiography and its novelization which can lead to a problematic or uncertain vision of its end. For this aim,Wolfe uses different perspectives regarding the suicide social studies, working with Durkheim’s and Foucault’s theories among others.
For the latter topic several criticisms are presented where Dazai Osamu is being both romanticized and taken his merit away . Be ar ing in mind his works and life, he is considered to be a “rebel without cause ”, member of the buraiha group and agent of a sincere decadence (both personal and national ) following his criticism directed at other “opportunistic and hypocritical” intellectuals of the time. He did not belong neither to the aristocracy the s ocial class his family belonged to) neither to the proletariat, to whom he related, being especially active in social and communist activities in a certain period of his life, desiring change and revolution.
In fact, a clear difference can be observed between the younger activist Dazai and the more decadent, passive Dazai. Not only does he present a variety of features: Dazai’s literature is also characterized by its eclectic narrative style; without going further, we have the second first person narrator and fragmented textuality in No Longer Human , as well as The Setting Sun ’s montage of text in first person (diaries and letters) or multiple perspectives (Naoji and Kazuko, most of all). It relates to a deconstruction of the individual self and an own kind of realism. Besides, he saw himself as a death fated, living corpse, and presents his characters both as victims and oppressors.
All things considered, the reading of Suicidal Narratives in Modern Japan is by far advisable and recommended for a study regarding suicide in literature, Dazai Osamu, suicide studies and like. Specially, it is so due to the practically non existent field of this kind of studies: except for psychological or social essays about suicide, there is not much written beyond the one used by the author, which, regarding concretely to the literature suicide studies, is not
abundant.
Concerning the bibliography, I will warn the reader of this book specialized nature.
Because the main sources are from philosophers and social or literature critics, I would recommend
the reader to introduce themselves at least minimally in these kind s of topics . For a better understanding , some of the social topics and intellectuals that are covered by Wolfe are: Japanese history starting from the Meiji Era , Structuralism and Post structuralism, Karl Marx, Jacques Derrida, Michel Foucault, Emile Durkheim, Sakaguchi Ango, Yukio Mishima and, of course, Dazai Osamu . Specially Dazai, it is to be said that Wolfe does not barely focus his analysis in Dazai’s main novels, but also short stories such as Reminiscences, Metamorphoses,
Leaves , For Fifteen Years and An Alm an ac of Agony are widely commented.
However, I will point out an unsatisfaction with the terms concerning “West” (basically certain countries of Europe and the United States), “East” (that is to say, Japan, and the Confucian and Buddhist traditions) and the use of Orientalists sources, even though sometimes they are disclaimed It carries on a clearly inaccurate discourse which is detrimental to the academic work, chiefly considering its highly acceptance. Likewise, the reader should keep in mind its publishing date, especially when reading about post modernity.
Finally, I would have recommended the author to wider the scope of his resource s. First of all regarding women: Among more than 200 references references, approximately 20 belonged only to a woman . Other than that, the only mentions of Sylvia Plath and Rosa Luxemburg are shallow
in his discourse neither of them are even quoted) quoted). Nonetheless, he could have mentioned the I novel writer Hayashi Fumiko or Chiyo Uno, who lived in a bohemian lifestyle lifestyle I also miss a lack of diversity concerning Japanese authors : though Wolfe effectively analyses works of Japanese’ critics and journalists , Japanese philosophers philosophers do not appear as much. I consider they could have provide d a better perspective of Japan’s situation, traditions and ideologies in the periods discussed.
Alan Wolfe and published by Princeton University in 1990. In this academic work, the literature about suicide is analyzed, focusing on Japanese literary texts and, as the title already conveys, Dazai Osamus' case of study. The author covers and exposes several judgements of both “Western Western” and Japanese intellectuals in his prose throughout the text, providing us perspectives not only about suicide in literature, but covering come up topics such as the littératuricide , the suicidal author, the autobiography, the modernization (and post modernization) and the alienation.
It could also be described as a comparative work, considering Wolfe’s commenting several sources each with their own discourse and with the author’s original dissertation . An illustrative example is the contrast between Mishima’s suicide, based in control and nationalistic ideals and Dazai’s, regarding an incapability of control and a certain hopelessness . Even though both deaths are presented as a dichotomy , they end up not being so different in the author’s final view.
For a more in depth information about the development of the subject s covered I will divide
them in three main topics: the history , literature and social tendencies of Japan, the literature of suicide, and Dazai Osamu.
About the first category, the author deals with the post war period in Japan, s panning from the 30's to well into the 40's . Though briefly, in his discourse about modernism and modernist tendencies and perspectives he also deals with Meiji Era and Post Modernism. The influence of Western literature and Western individualism is developed, as so does the construction of the self and literary studies in a hybrid Japanese and Western way ; the Japanese I novel is an example of this phenomenon. Opposing academic opinions are exposed in order to discuss the previous points. Social characteristics, such as the material difficulties of the post war, Marxism, tenko, and the American Occupation are, besides, mentioned throughout the text and related to the other two main topics of the book.
Regarding the literature of suicide: Dazai’s work are balm for some and poison for others. All literature is like that to a certain extent; Dazai’s cause is an extreme extreme. This quote, referring to the pharmakon quality of literature, adequately illustrates one of the ideas t he reader may procure when reading Su icidal Narratives in Modern Japan Furthermore, Sylvia Plath, an author who committed suicide and wrote literature on the subject , is mentioned . However, more than her, A. Alvarez and his work The Savage God are analyzed hence introducing the littératuricide in the Wolfe’s text several ways of suicide (even beyond the physical death) and their conceptions are further explained. Additionally , Wolfe covers the autobiography and its novelization which can lead to a problematic or uncertain vision of its end. For this aim,Wolfe uses different perspectives regarding the suicide social studies, working with Durkheim’s and Foucault’s theories among others.
For the latter topic several criticisms are presented where Dazai Osamu is being both romanticized and taken his merit away . Be ar ing in mind his works and life, he is considered to be a “rebel without cause ”, member of the buraiha group and agent of a sincere decadence (both personal and national ) following his criticism directed at other “opportunistic and hypocritical” intellectuals of the time. He did not belong neither to the aristocracy the s ocial class his family belonged to) neither to the proletariat, to whom he related, being especially active in social and communist activities in a certain period of his life, desiring change and revolution.
In fact, a clear difference can be observed between the younger activist Dazai and the more decadent, passive Dazai. Not only does he present a variety of features: Dazai’s literature is also characterized by its eclectic narrative style; without going further, we have the second first person narrator and fragmented textuality in No Longer Human , as well as The Setting Sun ’s montage of text in first person (diaries and letters) or multiple perspectives (Naoji and Kazuko, most of all). It relates to a deconstruction of the individual self and an own kind of realism. Besides, he saw himself as a death fated, living corpse, and presents his characters both as victims and oppressors.
All things considered, the reading of Suicidal Narratives in Modern Japan is by far advisable and recommended for a study regarding suicide in literature, Dazai Osamu, suicide studies and like. Specially, it is so due to the practically non existent field of this kind of studies: except for psychological or social essays about suicide, there is not much written beyond the one used by the author, which, regarding concretely to the literature suicide studies, is not
abundant.
Concerning the bibliography, I will warn the reader of this book specialized nature.
Because the main sources are from philosophers and social or literature critics, I would recommend
the reader to introduce themselves at least minimally in these kind s of topics . For a better understanding , some of the social topics and intellectuals that are covered by Wolfe are: Japanese history starting from the Meiji Era , Structuralism and Post structuralism, Karl Marx, Jacques Derrida, Michel Foucault, Emile Durkheim, Sakaguchi Ango, Yukio Mishima and, of course, Dazai Osamu . Specially Dazai, it is to be said that Wolfe does not barely focus his analysis in Dazai’s main novels, but also short stories such as Reminiscences, Metamorphoses,
Leaves , For Fifteen Years and An Alm an ac of Agony are widely commented.
However, I will point out an unsatisfaction with the terms concerning “West” (basically certain countries of Europe and the United States), “East” (that is to say, Japan, and the Confucian and Buddhist traditions) and the use of Orientalists sources, even though sometimes they are disclaimed It carries on a clearly inaccurate discourse which is detrimental to the academic work, chiefly considering its highly acceptance. Likewise, the reader should keep in mind its publishing date, especially when reading about post modernity.
Finally, I would have recommended the author to wider the scope of his resource s. First of all regarding women: Among more than 200 references references, approximately 20 belonged only to a woman . Other than that, the only mentions of Sylvia Plath and Rosa Luxemburg are shallow
in his discourse neither of them are even quoted) quoted). Nonetheless, he could have mentioned the I novel writer Hayashi Fumiko or Chiyo Uno, who lived in a bohemian lifestyle lifestyle I also miss a lack of diversity concerning Japanese authors : though Wolfe effectively analyses works of Japanese’ critics and journalists , Japanese philosophers philosophers do not appear as much. I consider they could have provide d a better perspective of Japan’s situation, traditions and ideologies in the periods discussed.
July 7, 2022
a great book going heavily into detail. i used it as academic secondary source for my presentation on the suicidal narrative in japan (just like the title) in context to akutagawa, mishima and dazai and it was of great help! anyone who wants to get a better and deeper understanding of how the literary works of these authors have been written and what lies behind them should definitely read this, it gives great context and analysis! definitely gonna revisit this book every time i read japanese post-war literature
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October 28, 2024Through an intricate examination of diverse philosophical frameworks, the book delves into how suicide is contextualized within Japan, interwoven with themes of modernity, post-modernity, Marxism, Orientalism, and Romanticism.
If you’re searching for an answer to the mystery of Osamu Dazai—why he might have ended his life, IF indeed he did—this is addressed very early on in the text. The subsequent chapters, however, extend far beyond Dazai, offering a compelling exploration of the intricate ties between literature and society, as the book takes on an impressively broad scope.
Very interested to tackle Masao Miyoshi “Accomplices of Silence” soon. It only feels right.
If you’re searching for an answer to the mystery of Osamu Dazai—why he might have ended his life, IF indeed he did—this is addressed very early on in the text. The subsequent chapters, however, extend far beyond Dazai, offering a compelling exploration of the intricate ties between literature and society, as the book takes on an impressively broad scope.
Very interested to tackle Masao Miyoshi “Accomplices of Silence” soon. It only feels right.
May 26, 2025
I know what you are. Ur gay as shit. You’re some stupid fucking gay lit major English major freak who likes bungo stray dogs and fyodor Dostoyevsky and quirky fucking old deep literature and ur not like the other girls well guess what your a
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March 26, 20212021 . 03 . 26 -- I have to put this down and it makes me so sad because it's so interesting but my mental health is really struggling and this is finally starting to affect me.
March 14, 2023
3.5, I suppose. I may have gotten rather (incredibly) bored near the end, which affected my rating. Still, reading analysis books of this subject - Dazai - is always interesting.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews