Grappling with Chinese writing as a material language: Ogyu Sorai's 'Yakubunsentei.'
Article Abstract:
The approach to the study of Chinese by the Japanese Edo scholar Ogyu Sorai (1666-1728) is discussed. Topics include Sorai's background and the events leading up to 'Yakubunsentei,' Sorai's approach to language and the purpose of the 'Yakubunsentei,' language as a field, the emphasis on linguistic principles over metaphysical principles, Sorai's prescription for learning, including deflating exterior discourse and extolling internal understanding, the flaws of explication in the academy system, the study of ancient phraseology, expression in vernacular language, and the self-destructing academy. An English translation of the preface to 'Yakubunsentei' ('A Tool for Translation') is included.
Publication Name: Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies
Subject: Regional focus/area studies
ISSN: 0073-0548
Year: 2001
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Self, sexuality, and writing in 'Honglou meng.' (classical Chinese novel)
Article Abstract:
The classic Chinese novel 'Honglou meng' by Cao Xueqin is ironic and self-conscious. The act of writing is portrayed as a means of self-redemption by reconstructing the self. Male and female characters representing fragments of the self are linked in a way that suggests a desire to transcend sexual divisions. The circular linking of characters opposes the hierarchical relations of Confucianism, as well as pointing to the inner emptiness of being. Cao attempts to transcend meaning by ironically creating and then erasing meaning, and the subsequent dispersal and loss of the manuscripts may be seen as a continuation of the process.
Publication Name: Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies
Subject: Regional focus/area studies
ISSN: 0073-0548
Year: 1995
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The liminal male as liberatory figure in Japanese women's fiction
Article Abstract:
Quest fiction by modern women authors in Japan is discussed, with a focus on the recurring motif of the odd-female and odd-male dyad. Authors examined include Okamoto Kanoko (1889-1939), Kono Taeko (1926- ), Takahashi Takako (1932- ), and Tawada Yoko (1960- ).
Publication Name: Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies
Subject: Regional focus/area studies
ISSN: 0073-0548
Year: 2000
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