Hi qizmo-ga,
Thanks so much for your question. One of the things I love most about
researching is that it allows me to learn about so many different
things. Yukio Mishima turned out to be a fascinating subject.
As you're probably already aware, in order to obtain articles about
Yukio Mishima, you will have to visit a library. Because of copyright
restrictions, I can only provide you with citations to articles rather
than the articles themselves. In assembling this list for you, I
located each of these articles and verified that they did indeed
discuss Mishima's short story, "Patriotism" in a substantive way. All
of these authors are either scholars in their own right and/or
associated with creditable established publications.
Most of these articles and items can probably be found in a large
public or academic library.
"Patriotism" (Japanese title is "Yukoku") was published in Japan in
1960/61. It came to American and British critics' notice in 1966 when
Mishima's collection of short stories, "Death in Midsummer," was
published in English. After Mishima committed seppuku (ritual suicide)
in 1970, "Patriotism" took on a particular resonance.
REFERENCE SOURCES:
Probably the easiest way for you to get your hands on some of these
articles would be to start with two particular volumes. Most libraries
collect these--they're standards.
Short Story Criticism:
"Yukio Mishima," Short Story Criticism. Detroit: Gale Research, Inc.,
1990, vol. 4, pp. 313-323.
In addition to some biographical information about Mishima, there are
several essays included that specifically address "Patriotism." These
are by:
Robert J. Smith (an anthropologist specializing in Japanese culture),
pp. 313-314. Originally the essay was published in the Arizona
Quarterly, vol. 22, no. 4, Winter 1966, pp. 380-381.
Ronald H. Bayes (author). Originally the piece was published in the
West Coast Review, vol. 2, no. 1, Spring 1967, pp. 41-42. In Short
Story Criticism, the article can be found on p. 317.
Henry Scott-Stokes (the author of "The Life and Death of Yukio
Mishima.") discusses "Patriotism" on pp. 318-319.
There are several other essays that I found independently, but which
are also reproduced in Short Story Criticism. I've noted those below
with an asterisk (*) in front of the citation.
Dictionary of Literary Biography:
"Mishima Yukio," by Susan J. Napier. Dictionary of Literary Biography:
Japanese Fiction Writers Since World War II. Detroit: Gale Research,
vol. 182, pp. 121-134.
"Patriotism" is critiqued at length on p. 129.
CONTEMPORARY REVIEWS:
In all of these articles other stories were critiqued. I've provided
you with the complete citation to locate the article, but will direct
you to the pages in question where "Patriotism" is discussed.
* "Japanese Modern," by John Wain. The New Republic, Vol. 155, July
30, 1966, pp. 25-28.
"Patriotism" is discussed on p 26.
* "Encounters iwth Life," by Robert Trumbull. The New York Times Book
Review." May 1, 1966, p. 4.
Although "Patriotism" is not specifically named, it is definitely
described (all the story elements match--1936 setting, rite of
seppuku, etc.) and discussed.
RETROSPECTIVE ARTICLES:
* "Mishima in Microcosm," by Barbara Wolf. The American Scholar, Vol.
45, Winter 1975/76, pp. 848-852.
At the time this article was published, Wolf taught at the University
of San Francisco and Foothill College and had been published in Japan
Quarterly, The Nation, and The Yale Review. It's a retrospective look
at Mishima. She specifically writes about "Patriotism" on pp. 851-852.
"Familiarity of the Strange: Japan's Gothic tradition," by Henry J.
Hughes. Criticism, vol. 42, No. 1, Winter 2000, pp. 59-89.
http://www.findarticles.com/cf_0/m2220/1_42/63819091/p1/article.jhtml?term=Mishima
This is a lengthy article. Hughes writes about "Patriotism" on p. 74.
BOOKS:
* "Mishima: a biography," by John Nathan. Boston: Little, Brown and
Company, 1974.
"Patriotism is discussed at length, particularly on pp. 175-182.
Nathan was a friend of Mishima's so his observations may have a
particular perspective.
"Escape from the Wasteland: romanticism and realism in the fiction of
Mishima Yukio and Oe Kenzaburo," by Susan J. Napier. Cambridge, Mass:
Harvard University Press, 1991.
"Patriotism," is critiqued extensively throughout the book. Both this
and Nathan's book have indexes that will provide the page numbers in
question.
WEB SITES:
These are not necessarily authoritative, but they may be of some
possible interest as they give some additional background material on
Mishima.
"Mishima Yukio Cyber Museum"
http://www.vill.yamanakako.yamanashi.jp/bungaku/mishima/index-e.html
"Seppuku and Jisatsu in Modern Japanese Literature," by Daniel Brown.
November 13, 1997.http://www.utexas.edu/depts/grg/ustudent/gcraft/fall97/brown/essays/seppuku.html
"Yukio Mishima"
http://www.us-japan.org/lit/mishima.html
SEARCH STRATEGY:
Google search:
"Yukio Mishima"
"Yukio Mishima" Patriotism
FindArticles.com
"Yukio Mishima"
Print resources:
Book Review Index is an excellent source for locating book reviews. I
also searched the Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature.
Had personal knowledge of the Gale Research publications and went to
their print indexes to locate material on Mishima and "Patriotism."
Also searched several online databases using various combinations of
the following terms: Mishima AND Patriotism; Mishima AND "Death in
Midsummer," etc.
I hope this answers your question. If you need additional information
or if the links I've included do not work, please ask for
clarification before rating my answer and I'll do my best to assist
you.
Regards,
luciaphile-ga |
