The Meaning of the “Words” of Others ：The Theoretical Underpinnings of <i>Yuhi</i> by Yangji Lee

Abstract

This paper re-examines the critical importance of Yuhi by Yangji Lee (1955-1992). It examines how this text, as a story of “words”, acquired much critical attention in its own era.First, the paper points out that Yuhi is structured in such a way that it is expected to be read as “Zainichi Korean Literature”, but that it refuses to be read as such by having the Korean “I” speak about the absent party without letting the party concerned, Yuhi, speak about her inner life.Next, it confirms that the narrative of Yuhi was triggered by the “memoir” left by Yuhi, and points out that “I” found meaning in the materiality of the written word. This allows us to reconsider the fact that Yuhi is a story of “words” that deals with universal problems in language.Finally, the paper reviews the contemporaneous circumstances in which Yuhi was published. Its publication took place at a time when the internationalization of the Japanese language was being promoted, which resonated with the “I” in Yuhi. In the era of this internationalization, the figure of “I” can be understood as showing the importance of dialogue that transcendeds language barriers. I argue that Yuhi was a critical text on language at a time when the meaning of “Japanese” for the Japanese was being called into question.