Beyond 'Obasan'? Ethnic idealism, victimization, and the problem of canonizing Japanese Canadian literature

This thesis investigates the canonization of Joy Kogawa's Obasan , with a particular focus on the novel's reception. This novel has been established as representative of Japanese Canadian cultural production, and for this reason there is a problematic precedent set for other Japanese Canadian writers whose ethno-political investments differ from those emphasized in Obasan's reception. Positioning Japanese Canadian literature within idealism or victimization, this critical reception has created expectations for Japanese Canadian writers that limit their access into institutional circulation.;The first chapter gives an overview of the novel and the various reception contexts in which Obasan has been read. Focusing on Canadian, Asian American and theoretical perspectives, the following chapter examines the practice of 'ethnic idealism' that underpins these interpretations. The third chapter explores the assertions made by Asian Canadian and post-national critics who disagree with the novel's representation of victimization. The last chapter considers the various obligations these perspectives create for other Japanese Canadian writers, and discusses the way they perpetuate the minority status of Japanese Canadian literature by avoiding aesthetic judgment.