Writing the displaced self. Gender, Language and Transnational Spaces in the Works of Ōba Minako, Tawada Yōko and Mizumura Minae

Abstract

The purpose of the present dissertation is to analyse the literary representation of the theme of displacement in the works of Ōba Minako, Tawada Yōko and Mizumura Minae. The first chapter outlines the biographical sketch of Ōba, Mizumura and Tawada and offers an overview of the state of research on their works, suggesting that a comparative approach may be beneficial broaden the critical frameworks of current research. The second chapter focuses on the representation of the female body in the works of Ōba, Tawada and Mizumura, suggesting its use as literary trope where multiple identities are brought together and negotiated. Chapter three discusses the relation between displacement and language, focusing on the presence of bilingual characters in Ōba’s works and on the concepts of “exophony” and bilingualism in Tawada and Mizumura’s writings. Chapter four explores the configuration of the narrative space in Ōba, Tawada and Mizumura’s works showing how the authors opt for “fluid” and liminal spaces which highlights the characters’ position on the “threshold” of two cultures.