Dangerous Companions: Cultural Cross-Dressing in Colonial Manchuria
How dangerous is it to wear the clothing of another culture? Focusing on Imamura Eiji's short story "Companions" (Dtktsha, 1938), this talk will explore representations of Japanese and colonized subjects in colonial Manchuria attempting to "pass" as cultural others. While each of these characters tries to conceal his cultural identity through clothing, the effects of their cross-dressing differ because of their positions within colonial hierarchy. Kono will argue that these instances of cultural cross-dressing ultimately underscore the destabilizing effects of colonial assimilation policy, reveal the fragility of cultural identity and potentially pose a threat to both its participants and the colonial project.
Location: FEAS Seminar Room (Mary Houghton Freeman Room)
Admission: This event is free and open to the public.
Sponsor: Mansfield Freeman Center for East Asian Studies
URL:"> Contact: Shirley Lawrence, Program Coordinator: 860-685-2330, slawrence@wesleyan.edu
