UCLA

This thesis examines the representation of human-animal connections through the motif of transformations in contemporary Japanese literature. It focuses on how the literary practices of two contemporary Japanese writers, Kawakami Hiromi, and Tawada Yōko, represent animals and animality as deconstructive and transgressive forces that decentralize the traditional human subject in the aftermath of the Shōwa era (1926-1989). By exploring the 1990s as a point of transition from postwar literature to contemporary literature, this study aims to cultivate a deeper understanding of the evolution of Japanese literature and its broader significance within the sociopolitical, cultural, and historical contexts of Japan. This thesis uses Rosi Braidotti’s theoretical framework of “posthumanism” as a tool for understanding the critical potentials of Kawakami and Tawada’s complex approaches to human-animal connections. It discusses the importance of posthuman concerns in contemporary Japanese literature, and analyzes how the literary subjects of Kawakami and Tawada enhance posthumanist discussions.