Course of
Linguistics and Literature

When you read fiction, you may come across a scene, an expression, or a character that you cannot easily grasp the implicit meaning of. You may, for example, come across a protagonist who suddenly throws a glass paperweight out of the window, or another who nearly starves to death without demanding any support. As is frequently the case, the author does not give a clear explanation about the somewhat odd behavior of characters, and thus the reader needs to explicate this by themselves. This act of explication―in other words, of interpretation―is, in my opinion, the act of reading fiction, which reveals its richness.

This awareness opened the doors of my academic inquiry into fiction. At present, I am interested in the interaction between 19-20th century British and American literature and the contemporary thought or scientific knowledge surrounding it. This is an indispensable point of view while reading fiction by Henry James or Edith Wharton, who are known for their highly intellectual environment.

You might feel that the study of literature is not associated with our daily lives. However, that is not the case. Fiction is a reflection of reality itself; therefore, you can always come across a story that, in a way, reflects yourself. I hope you encounter such a book and that it helps to and deepen your understanding about yourself.