The Image of Japan in German-Writing Women's Light Novels and Travelogues (1880-1940)

本研究的目的是分析德国、瑞士和奥地利女作家在1880-1940年间写的关于日本的轻快小说和游记。研究问题：1)研究问题：a)哪些题材、形象和刻板印象更受青睐？b)日本形象在一段时间内发生了怎样的变化？c)这些文本与同期男性的轻薄小说和游记有什么不同？2)结果：a)女性作家在很大程度上关注女性主题。这可以被称为“女性中心主义”，从1880年到1940年的每一个时期都可以看到这一点。这些妇女写了关于日本妇女的生活，以及这个国家的婚姻和家庭生活。他们批评日本对妇女的压迫以及她们缺乏解放的意愿。也可以发现许多社会批评，例如关于农民的苦难、卖淫等。b)这些文本中呈现的日本形象不时地发生变化。在明治时期，这是相当积极的。作者希望，妇女解放运动很快就会发生。在第一次世界大战期间，日本的形象正在变得消极，并描述了一个不能信任的日本。相比之下，在纳粹时期，这一形象再次变得非常积极。在这个时代，日本的形象具有特殊的英雄气质。c)女性作家的日本形象与男性有很大的不同。女性不像男性那样对国家有浪漫的印象，而且在西方社会中，女性也倾向于委婉地扮演女性的角色，以强调她们日本姐妹的糟糕处境。

The purpose of this study is to analyze light novels and travelogues about Japan written by German, Swiss and Austrian female authors during the years between 1880 and 1940. 37 authors' texts were analyzed.1) Research questions:a) Which themes, images and stereotypes were preferred?b) In what way did the image of Japan change in the course of time?c) What differences can be found between these texts and the light novels and travelogues written by men during the same period?2) Results:a) Women writers focus on female themes in an outstanding degree. This can be called "feminacentrism" and is to be found in every period from 1880 to 1940. The women wrote about Japanese women's life, and about marriage and family life in this country. They critizise the oppression of women in Japan and their lacking will to emancipate. There can also be found a lot of social criticism, e.g. about the misery of farmers, prostitution etc.b) The image of Japan presented in these texts is changing from time to time. During the Meiji-Period it is rather positive. The authors hope, that women's liberation will occur soon. During First World War the image is becoming negative, and a Japan, which cannot be trusted, is described. In contrast the image becomes very positive again during the Nazi-Period. In this era the image has a special heroic touch.c) The female authors' image of Japan differs a lot from that of men. Women have no romantic image of the country like men, and also tend to euphemize the role of women in western society to emphasize the bad situation of their Japanese sisters.