Authors:

Brin Manoogian

Date Created:

Not specified

Course Title:

Professor:

Not specified

About Paper:

The aim of this research is to situate Henry Theophilus Finck and his book Lotos-Time in Japan in their historic cultural contexts, not only by examining connections to the individuals and works referenced in Lotos-Time, but also through a larger comparative analysis of the book and similar narratives. Published in 1895, Lotos-Time is a travelogue written by Finck about his travels in Japan. The book is also a work of cultural commentary, using Finck's impressions and ideas about Japan in an examination and critique of both Japanese and Western societies. A native of Oregon, Finck was a music critic and author active in the 221 UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2025 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM TABLE OF CONTENTS late 19th and early 20th centuries. An outsider to Japanese culture and lacking fluency in Japanese, Finck relied on contacts he made in Japan, particularly Japanese traveling companions, to translate the linguistic and cultural contexts he encountered. Finck's understanding and interpretation of Japan also owed much to previous English-language travelogues and other written works about Japan, which he referenced and quoted extensively in Lotos-Time. The book is thus both a contribution toward and an integration of the genre of mid- and late-nineteenth-century travelogues, a part of a larger community of English-language texts that take Japan as their subject.

Source:

University of Oregon / 2025

Topics:

No topics listed

Co-authors:

Brin Manoogian