Asian Literature

Considered to be one of the most important contemporary writers in modern Japan, Haruki Murakami shot to fame with his novel  Norwegian Wood , a story about sexuality and loss, which sold 4 million copies in Japan instantly turning him into a Japanese pop culture icon.     Although most of his stories are set in  modern Japan, his portrayal of everyday things and gritty realities  depict  most cities of the modern world. Since his works are heavily influenced by...

Ancient people used broad leaves to shade themselves from the harmful rays of the sun. However, leaves did not last long as they wither easily specially under the intense heat. The people built a long-lasting protection against the sun, thus paper parasol was invented. Originally, the Chinese used a leaf to cover their parasols later on, however, they replaced the leaf with paper. The first paper parasol was built 2000 years ago in China where paper was invented. It was made of rigid bamboo spokes...

The Kimono is not just a form of dressing among the Japanese but is also a clear reflection of how the Japanese history has evolved. Its style has changed from one era to the next throughout its history to what it has become today. Its inception dates back to a period in their history referred to as the Jomon period. Then, it was in the form of a garment draped loosely over the body since the wearers then did not have much use for clothing as their main activity was hunting and gathering. Between...

Arthur Smith was a missionary from North America who wrote several narratives regarding his experiences and reflections about his travels. In his stay in China, he wrote a narrative about the Chineses national character entitled Chinese Characteristics. This was later translated into Japanese and was read by Lu Xun, a major Chinese writer and nationalists who had greatly influenced the post May Fourth Movement in China. His most famous work was The Truth Story of Ah-Q.   The search for...

A close reading of Musuis Story reveals that samurai ideals and the samurais way of life are not necessarily intricately tied with one another. Katsu Kokichis memoir offers readers a closer look into the life of someone who has been a part of the elite Japanese warrior class and who has failed to live up to the precepts of being a samurai at the same time. The firsthand accounts of a samurai who willingly transgressed the honor code of the highly esteemed warrior class provide a whole new perspective....

It is the capacity to create an active environment for readers to participate and recreate the scenarios of the past and present alongside the ability to merge and reproduce insights of the characters intention are what makes Shusaku Endos work When I Whistle address the themes presented in the story. Such process not only provides a narrative of the story of the two distinct protagonists in the story but also finds a way to recreate a connection and transcendence to each one. Thus, it is by exploring...

The Greek Epic Iliad and Irans Shah-name were produced during different eras yet they became the mouth piece of not only their generation but also for the decades ahead. According to Professor Gilbert Murray, the epics of Greece were the embodiment of the progressive spirit, an expression of the struggle of the human soul towards freedom and ennoblement while Shah-name was written during 10th century presenting the history of glorified Iran. They have both the religious, moral as well as universal...

Stephan Owen, a Canadian politician noted that there exists a general interest in the relativity of perceptions as well as in the relationship that exist between perception and human response. This was in apparent response to Wang Wei, an artist, painter and a poet. In his statement he referred to the translation of what humans perceive in the brains into visible things. Wang transformed his perceptions into paintings and poems. This statement was in deed a reflection of the Buddhists idea. Buddhists...