A Japanese Santa Claus: A Nikkei Subject and Lévi-Strauss’s Gift Theory in <i>Through the Arc of the Rain Forest</i>
Japanese American writer Karen Tei Yamashita’s first novel, <i>Through the Arc of the Rainforest</i> (1990), portrays protagonist Kazumasa Ishimaru as “a Japanese Santa Claus”, depicted as having a plastic ball spinning in front of his face. Yamashita presents this magic realist hero as...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-12-01
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| Series: | Literature |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2410-9789/2/4/29 |
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| author | Rie Makino |
| author_facet | Rie Makino |
| author_sort | Rie Makino |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Japanese American writer Karen Tei Yamashita’s first novel, <i>Through the Arc of the Rainforest</i> (1990), portrays protagonist Kazumasa Ishimaru as “a Japanese Santa Claus”, depicted as having a plastic ball spinning in front of his face. Yamashita presents this magic realist hero as a satire of Japan in the 1990s, which became the developed nation needed to support the developing world under the new Marshall Plan. Focusing on Kazumaza’s participation in charity, this essay explores the gift economy embodied by this Japanese immigrant character. Inspired by Claude Lévi-Strauss’s 1952 essay “Burned-out Santa Claus”, Kazumasa’s Nikkei subject position not only criticizes American capitalism but also Brazil’s postcolonial mentality. Supporting the idea that Lévi-Strauss sympathizes with Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s concept of innocence, the last part of the essay probes the idea of Kazumasa as an innocent subject who challenges the dichotomy between American capitalism and postcolonial Brazil. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T09:36:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a224d240507a4d62a383bf28031d59b1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2410-9789 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T09:36:44Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
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| series | Literature |
| spelling | doaj.art-a224d240507a4d62a383bf28031d59b12023-11-16T17:14:01ZengMDPI AGLiterature2410-97892022-12-012435236010.3390/literature2040029A Japanese Santa Claus: A Nikkei Subject and Lévi-Strauss’s Gift Theory in <i>Through the Arc of the Rain Forest</i>Rie Makino0Department of English, Nihon University, Tokyo 156-8550, JapanJapanese American writer Karen Tei Yamashita’s first novel, <i>Through the Arc of the Rainforest</i> (1990), portrays protagonist Kazumasa Ishimaru as “a Japanese Santa Claus”, depicted as having a plastic ball spinning in front of his face. Yamashita presents this magic realist hero as a satire of Japan in the 1990s, which became the developed nation needed to support the developing world under the new Marshall Plan. Focusing on Kazumaza’s participation in charity, this essay explores the gift economy embodied by this Japanese immigrant character. Inspired by Claude Lévi-Strauss’s 1952 essay “Burned-out Santa Claus”, Kazumasa’s Nikkei subject position not only criticizes American capitalism but also Brazil’s postcolonial mentality. Supporting the idea that Lévi-Strauss sympathizes with Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s concept of innocence, the last part of the essay probes the idea of Kazumasa as an innocent subject who challenges the dichotomy between American capitalism and postcolonial Brazil.https://www.mdpi.com/2410-9789/2/4/29Santa ClausClaude Lévi-Straussgift theoryNikkei subjectmagic realismJean-Jacques Rousseau |
| spellingShingle | Rie Makino A Japanese Santa Claus: A Nikkei Subject and Lévi-Strauss’s Gift Theory in <i>Through the Arc of the Rain Forest</i> Literature Santa Claus Claude Lévi-Strauss gift theory Nikkei subject magic realism Jean-Jacques Rousseau |
| title | A Japanese Santa Claus: A Nikkei Subject and Lévi-Strauss’s Gift Theory in <i>Through the Arc of the Rain Forest</i> |
| title_full | A Japanese Santa Claus: A Nikkei Subject and Lévi-Strauss’s Gift Theory in <i>Through the Arc of the Rain Forest</i> |
| title_fullStr | A Japanese Santa Claus: A Nikkei Subject and Lévi-Strauss’s Gift Theory in <i>Through the Arc of the Rain Forest</i> |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Japanese Santa Claus: A Nikkei Subject and Lévi-Strauss’s Gift Theory in <i>Through the Arc of the Rain Forest</i> |
| title_short | A Japanese Santa Claus: A Nikkei Subject and Lévi-Strauss’s Gift Theory in <i>Through the Arc of the Rain Forest</i> |
| title_sort | japanese santa claus a nikkei subject and levi strauss s gift theory in i through the arc of the rain forest i |
| topic | Santa Claus Claude Lévi-Strauss gift theory Nikkei subject magic realism Jean-Jacques Rousseau |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2410-9789/2/4/29 |
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