Be a Woman: Hayashi Fumiko and Modern Japanese Women's Literature

by Joan E. Ericson

Joan Ericson's magnificent survey of writing by Japanese women significantly advances the current debate over the literary category of "women's literature" in modern Japan and demonstrates its significance in the life and work of twentieth-century Japan's most important woman writer, Hayashi Fumiko (1903-1951).

Until the early 1980s, the literary category of "women's literature" (joryu bungaku) segregated most writing by modern Japanese women from the literary canon. "Women's literature" was viewed as a sentimental and impressionistic literary style that was popular but was critically disparaged.

A close scrutiny of Hayashi Fumiko's work--in particular the two pieces masterfully translated here, the immensely popular novel Horoki (Diary of a Vagabond) and Suisen (Narcissus)--shows the inadequacies of categorizing her writing as "women's literature." Its originality and power are rooted in the clarity and immediacy with which Hayashi is able to convey the humanity of those occupying the underside of Japanese society, especially women.

Genres: Japan, Fiction, Japanese Literature, Literature

294 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1997

Reviews

[yuriangel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a queen who lies for a living and spreads venereal diseases(allegedly)

[ryo narasaki · Rating 4 out of 5]

so feminist and socialist. so cool.

[Pamela Okano · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first part of this book is devoted to a brief history and analysis of the role of women in Japanese literature in the first half of the 20th Century, and unless you've read translations of these works or are a Japanese language scholar, chances are you won't know anything about the topic. That said, it's worth slogging through to get to the remaining part of the book: the author's translation of two of Hayashi Fumiko's best known works: the novel, Diary of a Vagabond, and the short story, Narcissus. Hayashi was well known for her books about the underclass, especially underclass women. Scholars evidently can't tell what parts of Diary of a Vagabond are autobiographical and what parts are fiction: the book reads like a diary, but apparently the entries are not in chronological order. They tell the story of a young woman from an underprivileged background who lives a rather bleak, transient life, selling stories and poems in addition to taking odd jobs and a variety of men. Hayashi herself led a very difficult life and died at the relatively young age of 48. The author of this book notes that Hayashi depicted her adopted home town of Onomichi "with great affection." Onomichi likely did not return that sentiment then, but now there is a statue of her near the railway station.

[Kay · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read for the "Reading Genres" book club meeting devoted to works by non-European/non-American women writers, held in May 2017.

In truth, this was a dense book devoted to literary movements and criticism. I found it hard going and struggled to stay motivated as I read it. I was hoping for more insight into Hayashi's work in lieu of the work itself, which as far as I can tell, has not been much translated into English. Elusive!