Shojo and beyond: Depiction of the world of women in fictional works of Banana Yoshimoto

Abstract

This thesis discusses six fictional works by Banana Yoshimoto (Tsugumi, Kitchen, Moonlight Shadow, N. P., Kanashii Yokan, Amrita) in light of their depiction of different areas of societal change in Japan such as feminism, the dissolution of the nuclear family, the focus on the individual instead of society and contemporary literary tendencies such as postmodern ideas. Yoshimoto describes her characters' feeling of instability and of being lost in a world of rapid social change. Her stories often start in a postmodern setting and with characters who resemble those of shojo manga, and then turn to depict (quite un-postmodern) the individual's search for the own identity and meaning in life. Interestingly, the new meanings her protagonists find and the new bonds they form are based on modern concepts which include a redefinition of the family and of gender roles as well as spiritual connections which have their roots in traditional Japanese religion.