Speech and Gender in Modern Japanese Literature
S06
Ikuko Yoshida
Jiro Akagawa is one of Japan’s most well-known mystery authors. Students will read short stories by this popular author, analyzing the development of male and female characters, and how male speech differs from female speech. In addition to gender analysis, students will closely analyze texts in order to solve mysteries. Through reading mysteries, students continue to develop their linguistic skills in Japanese and to become more familiar with male and female speech. In addition to speech analysis, students will 1) examine male and female roles in modern Japanese society as depicted in the short story, and 2) closely analyze texts in order to solve mysteries and to develop the analytical skills needed to hypothesize what happens next, based on appropriate clues. As a final project, students will write analyses of gender roles in Japanese society, and of the short story form. Pre-advanced level.