No Cover Image

E-Thesis 1098 views 3240 downloads

‘Fictions written in a certain city’: Representations of Japan in Angela Carter’s work / Helen Snaith

Swansea University Author: Helen Snaith

DOI (Published version): 10.23889/Suthesis.51160

Abstract

In 1969, Angela Carter travelled to Japan. She lived there for two and a half years, returning to England twice during this time. When she returned to England for good in 1972, she had changed emotionally, romantically and sexually, with a newfound confidence emerging in her literature. This thesis...

Full description

Published: 2018
Institution: Swansea University
Degree level: Doctoral
Degree name: Ph.D
URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa51160
first_indexed 2019-07-22T21:38:00Z
last_indexed 2025-04-05T03:56:11Z
id cronfa51160
recordtype RisThesis
fullrecord <?xml version="1.0"?><rfc1807><datestamp>2025-04-04T10:25:35.8728119</datestamp><bib-version>v2</bib-version><id>51160</id><entry>2019-07-22</entry><title>&#x2018;Fictions written in a certain city&#x2019;: Representations of Japan in Angela Carter&#x2019;s work</title><swanseaauthors><author><sid>a1cf8f6e1644f1017bec114090d8a10c</sid><ORCID>NULL</ORCID><firstname>Helen</firstname><surname>Snaith</surname><name>Helen Snaith</name><active>true</active><ethesisStudent>true</ethesisStudent></author></swanseaauthors><date>2019-07-22</date><abstract>In 1969, Angela Carter travelled to Japan. She lived there for two and a half years, returning to England twice during this time. When she returned to England for good in 1972, she had changed emotionally, romantically and sexually, with a newfound confidence emerging in her literature. This thesis investigates Carter&#x2019;s time in Japan between 1969 and 1972. It focuses specifically on The Infernal Desire Machines of Doctor Hoffman (1972) and Carter&#x2019;s collection of nine short stories Fireworks (1974). It also draws on Carter&#x2019;s essays about Japan which were written for the New Society, the Statesman and the Guardian. The memoirs of Carter&#x2019;s Japanese lover, Sozo Araki (2018) and the &#x2018;Angela Carter Papers&#x2019; in the British Library also inform this work. This thesis is split four chapters that investigate how Japan is represented in Carter&#x2019;s work. The first chapter assesses how the literary topography of the city evolves in Carter&#x2019;s work in Japan, as she positions herself as &#x2018;Other&#x2019;, attempting to navigate and interpret the streets of a foreign city. The second chapter assesses the ways in which images of Japanese theatre appear in Carter&#x2019;s short stories with specific reference to traditional bunraku puppet theatre and kabuki theatre. The third chapter shifts to a comparative analysis of Japanese literature, specifically between Carter and the Japanese author Tanizaki Jun&#x2019;ichir&#x14D; (1886-1964). The final chapter investigates Carter&#x2019;s interest in Japanese cinema, specifically the work of Akira Kurosawa (1910-1998), assessing the ways in which the techniques employed by Kurosawa are adopted and translated in Carter&#x2019;s fiction. I suggest that Carter&#x2019;s time in Japan exposed her to new aesthetic possibilities: her time abroad saw a shift in her writing style, her sensibilities and her understanding of her own Judeo-Christian culture. Peering through the looking glass perched on the edge of Asia, it was in Japan that Carter &#x2018;learnt what it was to be a woman and became radicalised&#x2019; (1982: 28). Although alienated as &#x2018;Other&#x2019;, as a Western Caucasian woman Carter was permitted a position of privileged estrangement. Themes of Otherness, alienation, the real and the unreal, exoticism and desire are all bound up with Carter&#x2019;s writing during this period.</abstract><type>E-Thesis</type><journal/><volume/><journalNumber/><paginationStart/><paginationEnd/><publisher/><placeOfPublication/><isbnPrint/><isbnElectronic/><issnPrint/><issnElectronic/><keywords>Angela Carter, Japan, contemporary women&#x2019;s writing, feminism</keywords><publishedDay>31</publishedDay><publishedMonth>12</publishedMonth><publishedYear>2018</publishedYear><publishedDate>2018-12-31</publishedDate><doi>10.23889/Suthesis.51160</doi><url/><notes>A selection of third party content is redacted or is partially redacted from this thesis.</notes><college>COLLEGE NANME</college><department>English Literature and Creative Writing</department><CollegeCode>COLLEGE CODE</CollegeCode><institution>Swansea University</institution><degreelevel>Doctoral</degreelevel><degreename>Ph.D</degreename><apcterm>Not Required</apcterm><funders/><projectreference/><lastEdited>2025-04-04T10:25:35.8728119</lastEdited><Created>2019-07-22T14:37:27.9874899</Created><path><level id="1">Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences</level><level id="2">School of Culture and Communication - English Literature, Creative Writing</level></path><authors><author><firstname>Helen</firstname><surname>Snaith</surname><orcid>NULL</orcid><order>1</order></author></authors><documents><document><filename>0051160-09082019154553.pdf</filename><originalFilename>Snaith_Helen_PhD_Thesis_Final_Redacted.pdf</originalFilename><uploaded>2019-08-09T15:45:53.1970000</uploaded><type>Output</type><contentLength>3456462</contentLength><contentType>application/pdf</contentType><version>Redacted version - open access</version><cronfaStatus>true</cronfaStatus><embargoDate>2019-08-08T00:00:00.0000000</embargoDate><copyrightCorrect>true</copyrightCorrect></document></documents><OutputDurs/></rfc1807>
spelling 2025-04-04T10:25:35.8728119 v2 51160 2019-07-22 ‘Fictions written in a certain city’: Representations of Japan in Angela Carter’s work a1cf8f6e1644f1017bec114090d8a10c NULL Helen Snaith Helen Snaith true true 2019-07-22 In 1969, Angela Carter travelled to Japan. She lived there for two and a half years, returning to England twice during this time. When she returned to England for good in 1972, she had changed emotionally, romantically and sexually, with a newfound confidence emerging in her literature. This thesis investigates Carter’s time in Japan between 1969 and 1972. It focuses specifically on The Infernal Desire Machines of Doctor Hoffman (1972) and Carter’s collection of nine short stories Fireworks (1974). It also draws on Carter’s essays about Japan which were written for the New Society, the Statesman and the Guardian. The memoirs of Carter’s Japanese lover, Sozo Araki (2018) and the ‘Angela Carter Papers’ in the British Library also inform this work. This thesis is split four chapters that investigate how Japan is represented in Carter’s work. The first chapter assesses how the literary topography of the city evolves in Carter’s work in Japan, as she positions herself as ‘Other’, attempting to navigate and interpret the streets of a foreign city. The second chapter assesses the ways in which images of Japanese theatre appear in Carter’s short stories with specific reference to traditional bunraku puppet theatre and kabuki theatre. The third chapter shifts to a comparative analysis of Japanese literature, specifically between Carter and the Japanese author Tanizaki Jun’ichirō (1886-1964). The final chapter investigates Carter’s interest in Japanese cinema, specifically the work of Akira Kurosawa (1910-1998), assessing the ways in which the techniques employed by Kurosawa are adopted and translated in Carter’s fiction. I suggest that Carter’s time in Japan exposed her to new aesthetic possibilities: her time abroad saw a shift in her writing style, her sensibilities and her understanding of her own Judeo-Christian culture. Peering through the looking glass perched on the edge of Asia, it was in Japan that Carter ‘learnt what it was to be a woman and became radicalised’ (1982: 28). Although alienated as ‘Other’, as a Western Caucasian woman Carter was permitted a position of privileged estrangement. Themes of Otherness, alienation, the real and the unreal, exoticism and desire are all bound up with Carter’s writing during this period. E-Thesis Angela Carter, Japan, contemporary women’s writing, feminism 31 12 2018 2018-12-31 10.23889/Suthesis.51160 A selection of third party content is redacted or is partially redacted from this thesis. COLLEGE NANME English Literature and Creative Writing COLLEGE CODE Swansea University Doctoral Ph.D Not Required 2025-04-04T10:25:35.8728119 2019-07-22T14:37:27.9874899 Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences School of Culture and Communication - English Literature, Creative Writing Helen Snaith NULL 1 0051160-09082019154553.pdf Snaith_Helen_PhD_Thesis_Final_Redacted.pdf 2019-08-09T15:45:53.1970000 Output 3456462 application/pdf Redacted version - open access true 2019-08-08T00:00:00.0000000 true
title ‘Fictions written in a certain city’: Representations of Japan in Angela Carter’s work
spellingShingle ‘Fictions written in a certain city’: Representations of Japan in Angela Carter’s work
Helen Snaith
title_short ‘Fictions written in a certain city’: Representations of Japan in Angela Carter’s work
title_full ‘Fictions written in a certain city’: Representations of Japan in Angela Carter’s work
title_fullStr ‘Fictions written in a certain city’: Representations of Japan in Angela Carter’s work
title_full_unstemmed ‘Fictions written in a certain city’: Representations of Japan in Angela Carter’s work
title_sort ‘Fictions written in a certain city’: Representations of Japan in Angela Carter’s work
author_id_str_mv a1cf8f6e1644f1017bec114090d8a10c
author_id_fullname_str_mv a1cf8f6e1644f1017bec114090d8a10c_***_Helen Snaith
author Helen Snaith
author2 Helen Snaith
format E-Thesis
publishDate 2018
institution Swansea University
doi_str_mv 10.23889/Suthesis.51160
college_str Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
hierarchytype
hierarchy_top_id facultyofhumanitiesandsocialsciences
hierarchy_top_title Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
hierarchy_parent_id facultyofhumanitiesandsocialsciences
hierarchy_parent_title Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
department_str School of Culture and Communication - English Literature, Creative Writing{{{_:::_}}}Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences{{{_:::_}}}School of Culture and Communication - English Literature, Creative Writing
document_store_str 1
active_str 0
description In 1969, Angela Carter travelled to Japan. She lived there for two and a half years, returning to England twice during this time. When she returned to England for good in 1972, she had changed emotionally, romantically and sexually, with a newfound confidence emerging in her literature. This thesis investigates Carter’s time in Japan between 1969 and 1972. It focuses specifically on The Infernal Desire Machines of Doctor Hoffman (1972) and Carter’s collection of nine short stories Fireworks (1974). It also draws on Carter’s essays about Japan which were written for the New Society, the Statesman and the Guardian. The memoirs of Carter’s Japanese lover, Sozo Araki (2018) and the ‘Angela Carter Papers’ in the British Library also inform this work. This thesis is split four chapters that investigate how Japan is represented in Carter’s work. The first chapter assesses how the literary topography of the city evolves in Carter’s work in Japan, as she positions herself as ‘Other’, attempting to navigate and interpret the streets of a foreign city. The second chapter assesses the ways in which images of Japanese theatre appear in Carter’s short stories with specific reference to traditional bunraku puppet theatre and kabuki theatre. The third chapter shifts to a comparative analysis of Japanese literature, specifically between Carter and the Japanese author Tanizaki Jun’ichirō (1886-1964). The final chapter investigates Carter’s interest in Japanese cinema, specifically the work of Akira Kurosawa (1910-1998), assessing the ways in which the techniques employed by Kurosawa are adopted and translated in Carter’s fiction. I suggest that Carter’s time in Japan exposed her to new aesthetic possibilities: her time abroad saw a shift in her writing style, her sensibilities and her understanding of her own Judeo-Christian culture. Peering through the looking glass perched on the edge of Asia, it was in Japan that Carter ‘learnt what it was to be a woman and became radicalised’ (1982: 28). Although alienated as ‘Other’, as a Western Caucasian woman Carter was permitted a position of privileged estrangement. Themes of Otherness, alienation, the real and the unreal, exoticism and desire are all bound up with Carter’s writing during this period.
published_date 2018-12-31T04:39:38Z
_version_ 1851366602018127872
score 11.089572

Similar Items