"Diary of a Mad Old Man"

Paper Summary:

The paper discusses Junichiro Tanizaki's "Diary of a Mad Old Man" in relation to several articles from literary criticism which pertain to narrative styles motifs and the admixture of memory and consciousness that first person styles so often impart. The paper describes the narrator as a 77 year old educated Japanese man who develops a near fetish for his son's wife, a former showgirl. He was born in the later 19th century and has thus seen Japan combine the very old and garish Western influences. The paper includes some commentary on presentations of women and on how the narrator regards himself and the author's ability.

From the Paper:

"Junichiro Tanizaki's "Diary of a Mad Old Man," in some respects, is a reflection of the author's own experience of how Western influence in Japan, through the later 19th and early 20th centuries, had combined with the tradition of centuries. (2004) The novel discusses a taboo but human subject of geriatric sexuality and this is done in a style to remind the reader of Japan's long tradition of story telling, in what is also an experiment in narrative. It is helpful to know that Tanizaki's own background was cultured."

More papers on "Diary of a Mad Old Man" :

• Analytical Essay # 44073 : "Diary of a Man Old Man"
• Book Review # 45024 : "Cultural Change in the Light Of Absurdity"
• Analytical Essay # 23447 : "Imagery in "A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings"

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