ABSTRACT
The irony of Japanese women writers’ status in the face of this appropriation of the feminine literary tradition has been well understood by either Japanese or American critics. Russ’s analysis of the lyric mode exactly describes the content and structure of most Japanese masterpieces. Impregnating the textual fiber with a poetic perspective that is at the same time full of psychological nuance, women relies heavily on the lyric mode, with its associative connection of events, images, scenes, or memories, and a “feminine” style that is “discursive, fluid, sensual.” Minako’s stories on the other hand, aggressively pursue a different course: the exploration of the interrelationship of characters, often through earthy and humorous dialogues.
