Colonialism and post-colonialism in Asia

Abstract

This thesis examines the relationship between Japan and China from a post-colonial perspective. Taking the critical tools such as Said and Certeau, I examine the way that authors of two major texts, Akutagawa’s Travels in China and Okakura’s The Awakening of Japan, used methods similar to those of Orientalism to strip China and its people of their humanity and authority. These two texts exemplify two disparate methods that the Japanese employed to strip the Chinese authority, but I will show that they both aim for the same goal, namely denying China its independence and creating a logic that will serve to bolster the case for the Japanese colonization of China. The conclusion expands the scope of this thesis, looking not only at its application within Comparative Literature but also within International Affairs and related fields.