Tanizaki Junʼichirō and the art of storytelling
department or school: Arts, Faculty of
department or school: Asian Studies, Department of
data provider: DSpace
degree campus: UBCV
creator: Pham, Thien Truong
issued: 2010-06-07T20:17:56Z
issued: 1985
related degree: Master of Arts - MA
degree grantor: University of British Columbia
description: This thesis deals with the storytelling art of Tanizaki Jun'ichirō. An esthete par excellence, this prolific writer produced for over half a century a string of works that are essentially dedicated to the glorification of art and beauty. This glorification in turn enhances the quality of life which, also in the author's view, is both a dream and a game. Art and beauty, dreams and games are virtually the building blocks of Tanizaki's fictional universe in which illusion and reality are meant to be complementary rather than opposing forces that govern human existence. Transplanting this fabulous world into the reader's heart is the result of Tanizaki's special skill in storytelling. An analysis of his four major works will hopefully bring this skill into full view. Chapter One examines Tanizaki's early short story "Shisei" that marks his brilliant debut. Though marred by technical flaws, "Shisei" succeeds remarkably in luring the reader into a fairy-tale atmosphere where art and beauty are the only raison d'être. A sensuous style characterizes this lively tale and between the lines flows a life force that will become Tanizaki's trademark. The theme of art and beauty is brought to a climax in "Shunkinshō" which is analysed in Chapter Two. The simple perspective of "Shisei" is now abandoned, giving way to a maze of multiple viewpoints that are there for the single purpose of hypnotizing the reader. The ultimate goal is to make the reader share the passion and devotion of an artist in the pursuit of the Ideal. The monogatari style is a feature of this novella and helps generate the ambiguity needed for the narrative. Chapter Three deals with "Yume no ukihashi," a tale of dream and sensuality. Man's ambition to create and perpetuate dreams is given full treatment in this story in which illusions are the name of the game. Incest is also a thorny issue but Tanizaki seems to consciously skirt the problem with various devices. Fùten rōjin nikki, Tanizaki's crowning novel, is …
aggregated CHO: https://circle.library.ubc.ca/rest/handle/2429/25504
note: T A N I Z A K I J U N ' I C H I R O A N D T H E A R T OF S T O R Y T E L L I N G b y T H I E N T R U O N G P H A M B . S c , U n i v e r s i t y o f Q u e b e c , 1 9 7 5 A T H E S I S S U B M I T T E D I N P A R T I A L F U L F I L L M E N T T H E R E Q U I R E M E N T S F O R T H E D E G R E E O F M A S T E R O F A R T S i n T H E F A C U L T Y O F G R A D U A T E S T U D I E S D e p a r t m e n t o f A s i a n S t u d i e s We a c c e p t t h i s t h e s i s a s c o n f o r m i n g t o t h e r e q u i r e d s t a n d a r d i T H E U N I V E R S I T Y O F B R I T I S H C O L U M B I A F e b r u a r y 1 9 8 5 © T h i e n T r u o n g P h a m , 1 9 8 5 In presenting this thesis in partial fulfilment of the requirements for an advanced degree at the University of British Columbia, I agree that the Library shall make i t freely available for reference and study. I further agree that permission for extensive copying of this thesis for scholarly purposes may be granted by the head of my department or by his or her representatives. It i s understood that copying or publication of this thesis for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. Department of A S I A N S T U D I E S The University of British Columbia 1956 Main Mall Vancouver, Canada V6T 1Y3 Date M a r c h 5 , 1 9 8 5 E-6 (3/81) A B S T R A C T i i T h i s t h e s i s d e a l s w i t h t h e s t o r y t e l l i n g a r t o f T a n i z a k i J u n ' i c h i r o . A n e s t h e t e p a r e x c e l l e n c e , t h i s p r o l i f i c w r i t e r p r o d u c e d f o r o v e r h a l f a c e n t u r y a s t r i n g o f w o r k s t h a t a r e e s s e n t i a l l y d e d i c a t e d t o t h e g l o r i f i c -a t i o n o f a r t a n d b e a u t y . T h i s g l o r i f i c a t i o n i n t u r n e n h a n c e s t h e q u a l i t y o f l i f e w h i c h , a l s o i n t h e a u t h o r ' s v i e w , i s b o t h a d r e a m a n d a g a m e . A r t a n d b e a u t y , d r e a m s a n d g a m e s a r e v…
has type: Thesis/Dissertation
is shown at: 10.14288/1.0096512
language: eng
degree discipline: Asian Studies
provider: Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
publisher: University of British Columbia
rights: For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.
scholar level: Graduate
type: Text
identifier URI: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/25504