ABSTRACT
The aim of this chapter is to explore cultural identity in the work of Yi Yang-ji (1955–92), a second-generation Korean writer in Japan, focusing on her individual values and sense of self and on how she positioned herself in regard to both Japanese and Korean societies. Yang-ji’s work will be examined through an exploration of the identity formation of her characters, particularly in her first novel Nabi t’aryŏng (Grieving Butterflies), published in 1982, and the 1989 novel Yuhi – named after its central protagonist – which won the Akutagawa award, one of Japan’s most prestigious literary awards. The chapter is divided into three sections: Yi Yang-ji’s life, a literary analysis of her fictional work through an examination of the cultural identity of her characters, and her concept of ethnic and cultural identity.
