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

本研究的目的是分析1880年至1940年间德国、瑞士和奥地利女性作家所写的关于日本的轻小说和游记。分析了37位作者的文本。1)研究问题：a)哪些主题、形象和刻板印象更受欢迎？b)随着时间的推移，日本的形象发生了怎样的变化？c)这些文本与同一时期男性写的轻小说和游记有什么不同之处？2)结果：a)女性作家对女性主题的关注程度突出。这可以被称为“女性中心主义”，从1880年到1940年的每个时期都有这种现象。这些妇女写的是日本妇女的生活，以及这个国家的婚姻和家庭生活。他们批评日本妇女受压迫，缺乏解放意志。也可以发现很多社会批评，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是不断变化的。在明治时期，它是相当积极的。作者希望，妇女解放会很快发生。在第一次世界大战期间，日本的形象变得消极，被描述为一个不能信任的日本。相反，在纳粹时期，这个形象再次变得非常积极。c)女性作家对日本的形象与男性作家的形象有很大的不同。女性没有像男性那样浪漫的国家形象，也倾向于委婉地描述女性在西方社会中的角色，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.