ŌE, Kenzaburo 大江健三郎
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Title
ŌE, Kenzaburo 大江健三郎
Subject
about ŌE, Kenzaburo 大江健三郎
Description
In the Nobel Prize Memorial Lecture, in his speech titled “Aimai na Nihon no watakushi” (Japan, the Ambiguous, and Myself)," while referring to Kawabata Yasunari’s 1968 memorial lecture, Ōe Kenzaburō (1935-) described the tradition of the post-war Japanese writers that they had attempted to “make up for the inhuman atrocities committed by Japanese military forces . . . . Only by doing so did they think they could seek with some humanity reconciliation with the rest of the world.”
Ōe won the Akutagawa Prize in 1958 for his Shiiku (The Catch), a story of friendship between a young boy and a black POW during WWII and its sad end, and established himself in the forefront of the new writers of the day. He is also known for his political involvement, and his strong preoccupation with social and political issues is reflected in his earlier works, though his scathing writings have also caused rifts and violent attacks against him.
In 1963 the birth of his son with serious brain damage led him in a new direction. In 1968, he wrote Kojinteki kenkai (A Personal Matter) which depicted the sufferings of a young and immature father who must confront the birth of his mentally disabled boy. Around this time, Ōe had visited Hiroshima to investigate the aftereffects of the atomic bomb. These tragic personal experiences and historical events have been closely connected and reflected in his works.
Ōe won the Akutagawa Prize in 1958 for his Shiiku (The Catch), a story of friendship between a young boy and a black POW during WWII and its sad end, and established himself in the forefront of the new writers of the day. He is also known for his political involvement, and his strong preoccupation with social and political issues is reflected in his earlier works, though his scathing writings have also caused rifts and violent attacks against him.
In 1963 the birth of his son with serious brain damage led him in a new direction. In 1968, he wrote Kojinteki kenkai (A Personal Matter) which depicted the sufferings of a young and immature father who must confront the birth of his mentally disabled boy. Around this time, Ōe had visited Hiroshima to investigate the aftereffects of the atomic bomb. These tragic personal experiences and historical events have been closely connected and reflected in his works.
Source
http://guides.lib.ku.edu/content.php?pid=59061&sid=4360752
Date
1994
Citation
“ŌE, Kenzaburo 大江健三郎,” KU Libraries Exhibits, accessed November 24, 2024, https://exhibits.lib.ku.edu/items/show/6496.