| Abstract |

In Matsuda Aoko‘s creations, she weaves together traditional feminist themes like gender roles, women in the workplace, marriage, and maternity with more modern discussions on gender identity, sex, and sexuality. Her works often unfold against the backdrop of contemporary Japan, particularly in work settings, shedding light on stories involving gender-based violence and inequalities like sexual harassment, sexism, and abuses of power. 

This lecture focuses on some of the most representative works by the author and their theoretical impact. We examine to what extent they challenge gender normativity and reflect on the preponderant use of devices like metamorphosis, irony and repetition and their different outcomes. We also see how her works, which are generally focused on women‘s characters, in reality reveal an urge for men too to set themselves free from established roles.

| Bio |

Daniela Moro received her Master's Degree from Waseda University in Tokyo and her Ph.D. from Ca' Foscari University of Venice, with a thesis on the works of Enchi Fumiko that was later published as a monograph. She is currently Associate Professor in Japanese Studies in the Department of Humanities at the University of Turin. She is interested in the relationship between Japanese literature and feminist, gender and queer studies. In particular, she focuses on female writers working between the 1960s and the 1980s, but she also looks at contemporary writers. Recently she has published an article on Matsuda Aoko's work (2023): "A silent fight to challenge the norm in Matsuda Aoko's 'Sutakkingu Kanō' (2012)", Japan Forum, 35:4, 410-43. DOI: 10.1080/09555803.2023.2248156

You can reach her at daniela.moro@unito.it

| Date & Time |

u:japan lecture | s07e06
Thursday 2023-11-23, 18:00~19:30

| Place & Preparations | 

| Plattform & Link |