Okamoto Konoko has been regarded to have created works out of narcissism and maternal mythology which are unique to women. However, I wonder if these were her only motivations. Her desire to write is based not so much on narcissism as on a longing which is never fulfilled. However, to be satisfied in describing this feeling naturally results in falling into narcissism. Kanoko wanted to release herself from this narcissism and obtain sense of "fulfillment of life" by writing novels. "Kawa-akari" has the structure of two themes intertwined: one, the story the narrator actually tells, the second, the illusion the narrator intends to tell. By analyzing this structure, I attempt to explain Kanoko's view of novels. The sense of "Ku"(vanity in Buddism), which sustained Kanoko's view of the world, is illustrated as well.
View full abstract