Jun'ichiro Tanizaki's Novel Naomi (1924): A Praising of New Western Ways, or a Sad Farewell to Traditional Eastern Ones?
Naomi (1924) is Japanese author Jun'ichiro Tanizaki's complex, often humorous, and deeply ironical novel of unconventional love; atypical attraction, the fusion of fantasy and reality, and the erotic lure of a "westernized" younger woman, for an older, traditional (at least at first) 28-year-old Japanese electrical engineer. The book likely reflects the Japanese fascination with America and the west in the 1920's, probably due to the relatively new importation of America cinema; foods; fashions, and other products. Movies and Naomi's love of them is a key theme. Naomi, in fact, even reminds Joji of an American movie star, Mary Pickford. [Interestingly, the American filmmaker D.W. Griffith's internationally popular silent film, Broken Blossoms (1919), starring Mary Pickford and another American beauty of the time, Lillian Gish, tells the story of an Asian man and a much younger woman.] But just as Naomi comes to dominate the narrator, American culture itself threatens not just to entertain and energize Japan, but instead to dominate it. It is this psychological tug-of-war between traditional eastern ways and new western influences that drives the protagonist, and continually inflects his obsession with Naomi herself.
fashions. No doubt, the times being what they are, the sort of marital relationship that we've had, unheard of until now, will begin to turn up on all Naomi's hair, clothing; make-up, and overall look are westernized according to her mentor's specifications. Despite Joji's efforts however, Naomi's true Japanese (and lower-class) essences begin to seep through. Severely frustrated by that lack of progress, Joji decides on a separation from Naomi, but (and here the irony begins) the separation causes far more suffering in Joji himself than he could have imagined. In the process of trying to turn Naomi into his westernized ideal, he has instead fallen in love with the real Naomi. When that occurs, the power in the relationship shifts from teacher to student, in a reversal of the traditional Pygmalion story. Early in the story Joji explains the growing influence of the west on Japan in this way: As Japan grows increasingly cosmopolitan, Japanese and foreigners are Further, Naomi's education in the English language (eventually at his hands) is as important to Joji as it is to Shaw's Henry Higgins to rid Eliza Doolittle of her Cockney accent. Joji, like Henry Higgins, becomes determined to make a "new woman" out of Naomi through her improved speech and pronunciation of English. The sticking points in this proc
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Approximate Word count = 910
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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