| My dissertation explores the nature of "Okinawan literature" by focusing on Oshiro Tatsuhiro (1925-), an important contemporary writer from Okinawa. By investigating continuities and changes in the thematic concerns as well as in the narratives of Oshiro's major fictions, I will demonstrate that Oshiro's literary works have been shaped by his consciousness of Okinawan culture---its historical heritage, indigenous beliefs, and everyday life---and his quest for Okinawan literary identity. Chapter One analyzes the narrative structure of Kakuteru pati ( Cocktail Party, 1967) to show the ways Oshiro narrates Okinawan history and identity, and to demonstrate that intertextuality in this novella creates a new historical narrative about Okinawa. Chapter Two examines the nexus linking literary prizes and Okinawan fiction in order to explore the site in which Okinawan literature is generated. In this chapter I deploy the concept of "minor literature" proposed by Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari in order to capture the possibilities of Okinawan literature. Chapter Three analyzes Oshiro's important religious stories to demonstrate how Oshiro depicts the connection between Okinawan religion and identity in his literary works. Chapter Four consists of a close reading of Hi no hate kara (From the End of the Day, 1993), which depicts the Battle of Okinawa directly, which analyzes Oshiro's attempts to narrate the war that has heavily and deeply affected Okinawan history and society. As an appendix, I include my translation into English of Oshiro' Meiro (The Labyrinth, 1991), a story about an Okinawan yuta (female medium). Since he became the first Okinawan writer to win the Akutagawa Prize in 1967 for his novella Cocktail Party, Oshiro has played a vital role in Okinawan literary scene. Okinawan identity as a literary theme runs through his works. He attempts to establish an Okinawan literary identity within the site of Japanese literature. Oshiro's major contribution to Okinawan literature is threefold: he has presented various literary themes ranging from the American occupation in Okinawa to Okinawan religion; he has attempted to create a new narrative of Okinawan history; and he has explored the problem of language---in oral and written forms---in Okinawa. |
