ABSTRACT
Three more prizes in physics and one peace prize later, in 1994 another prize was awarded in literature to Oe Kenzaburo (b. 1935). This time, it was obviously in an attempt to recognize the work of Japan's postmodern writers. It was a controversial decision, as Oe had often shown his strong affinity to postwar political writers. The heroes in Oe's works were often disaffected youths who tum to violent behavior. His description of Japan's affluent society was far from charitable, and his investigation of the aftereffects of the atomic bomb in Hiroshima was gruesome. The chorus of praise that greeted Kawabata's selection in 1968 was absent when Oe's selection was announced in 1994.
