An Account of My Perplexities: The Humorous Essays of Kita Morio

Abstract

Kita Morio has been one of the most successful humorists of Japan's postwar period, but his work has received little attention from scholars. The intent of this study is to provide an introduction to the humorous essays of Kita Morio. In particular, after the principles of the humor mechanism are established, the nature of the essays as a type of I-novel is examined. The focus is then turned to the authorial persona that Kita uses in his humorous essays, and an overview of that manufactured fictional character and the world he inhabits is created. Finally, five individual essays are examined in the context created by the preceding chapters, with particular attention given to the manner in which humor functions in the essays, as well as the manner in which the reader can find comfort in them. Translations of the five essays examined in the final chapter are provided in the Appendix.