The Literature Book

209

See also: The Temple of the Golden Pavilion 263

T

he “I-novel” is a Japanese

literary genre that emerged

at the beginning of the

20th century. Although called

the I-novel, the genre has little

in common with the Western

concept of a novel; it is a form of

confessional literature in which

the story’s contents are usually

autobiographical. The genre takes

its name from the first-person

perspective, “I”; narrators are

always sincere (and never

unreliable). The Western practice

of using multiple viewpoints to

tell the narrative was considered

misleading, because a writer could

not tell the objective truth about

anyone’s perspective but their own.

Heartless humans

Natsume Soˉ seki (1867–1916) is

arguably the greatest writer in

modern Japanese history and his

I Am a Cat is a major (and witty)

example of the I-novel. The cat

narrator’s tone is snooty and

supercilious, as though he regards

himself a nobleman, looking down

upon the errant behavior of

humans. The autobiographical

element of the I-novel comes

through the cat’s owner (Mr.

Sneaze) who, like all the humans

in the book, is mercilessly mocked,

and is based upon Soˉ seki himself.

It is through the eyes of the cat

that Soˉ seki paints his self-portrait.

I Am a Cat was first published

in installments in the literary

magazine Hototogisu, which had

mainly showcased haiku verse.

Most of the installments can stand

on their own as short stories. ■

BREAKING WITH TRADITION

I AM A CAT. AS YET

I HAVE NO NAME.

I’VE NO IDEA WHERE

I WAS BORN

I AM A CAT (1905 –1906), NATSUME SO ̄ SEKI

IN CONTEXT

FOCUS

I-novel

BEFORE

1890 Mori O ̄gai’s short story

The Dancing Girl, in which a

Japanese student in Germany

has a doomed relationship,

heralds a trend for revelatory

autobiographical writing.

1906 In Toˉ son Shimazaki’s

The Broken Commandment a

fearful teacher struggles for

self-realization as he tries to

keep secret the fact he belongs

to the outcast social class.

AFTER

1907 Tayama Katai’s Futon,

the confessional tale of his

unconsummated passion for

a student, is the first overtly

factual and autobiographical

example of an I-novel.

1921–37 Shiga Naoya’s A Dark

Night’s Passing is an I-novel

with poetic spirit depicting the

inner struggle of a tormented

man in search of serenity.

Living as I do with human

beings, the more I observe

them, the more I am forced to

conclude that they are selfish.

I Am a Cat

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