Coercive Courtship Strategies in Japanese Court Literature

Coercive Courtship Strategies in Japanese Court Literature

Margaret Childs - Associate Professor, East Asian Languages and Cultures, Kansas University

Wednesday, September 28, 2005 - 5:00pm to 6:30pm
Room 312, Hall of Graduate Studies (HGS) See map
320 York Street
New Haven, CT 6511

While in other works, Professor Childs has argued that physical coercion (rape) was not as common in the literature of the Japanese court as some scholars suggest, in this lecture she will explore the many and varied ways in which male characters use psychologically coercive strategies in their pursuit of romance. Professor Childs will also discuss the corollary issue of women’s reluctance to accept suitors. While the texts often suggest, and readers commonly assume, that women were focused on finding a man they could trust, she will argue that what many women most deeply desired was respect.

Tags: 
Region: 
Japan