DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Title

Japanese Branch Report- 2008

Authors

Miwa Ota

Date of this Version

2009

Document Type

Article

Citation

The George Eliot Review 40 (2009)

Comments

Published by The George Eliot Review Online https://GeorgeEliotReview.org

Abstract

On Saturday 29 November 2008, the twelfth Annual Convention of the George Eliot Fellowship of Japan was held at Kinki University.

The morning session began with an opening remark by Yosie Abe (Shoin University), followed by a welcome address by Itsuyo Shimizu (Kinki University). In the morning, we had three papers presented. The first two papers were introduced and commented upon by Chizuko Watari (Kanasai Gaidai University), and the third by Keiji Yata (Tokyo Kasei University). The first paper was 'Maggie's Struggle in The Mill on the Floss' by Muneaki Shinoda (the Graduate School of Osaka City University). He drew attention to the similarity between Maggie and Antigone, referring to Judith Butler's interpretation of Antigone, and discussed the question of female education and Maggie. He compared Maggie as the defender of moral law with Tom as the defender of social law

The second paper was 'The Tragic Love of Fedalma and Silva - The Spanish Gypsy from the Ethnic Point of View' by Nanae Hama (the Graduate School of Fukuoka Women's University). She pointed out the correspondence between 15th century Spain and 19th century Britain as periods of ethnic controversy, and argued that the wedding ceremony of the lovers before their final separation suggests Eliot's fervent desire for the coexistence of the two different nations, which was difficult to realize in her time.

The third paper was 'Reading Middlemarch as Gothic Romance' by Hiromi Takei (The Jikei University School of Medicine). She examined several Gothic elements in Middlemarch Mr. Casaubon and Lowick Manor as a good example of identification of a Gothic house with its owner; Dorothea, a parentless heroine in fetters; Ladislaw, a free-spirited hero and rescuer who is represented in terms of light. She discussed how Eliot made use of the Gothic tradition in her own way, and suggested that Eliot's desire to analyze psychology necessitated a minute description of characters as well as their houses.

The afternoon session began with an address by Yoshitsugu Uchida, the President of the George Eliot Fellowship of Japan, which was followed by a welcome address by Professor Nobuyuki Inomo, the Dean of the School of Literature, Arts and Cultural Studies of Kinki University. After the addresses, the general meeting was presided over by Yoshie Abe. The meeting's agenda included financial reports and publications of the Fellowship, one of which is The Bibliography of Works on George Eliot Published in Japan.