2. In the works we have read we have seen women depicted by both male and female writers. What sort of picture do they give us of the modern Japanese woman? In what ways does she differ from traditional stereotypes? Is there any important difference in the way male authors depict women as opposed to the way female authors depict them?

3. In some way or another World War II has affected nearly all the writers we have considered this term. Consider the effects of the war showing evidence from the various works we have read. Has the impact of this experience diminished over time?

4. In many ways modern Japan has broken free from the traditions of the past - what Karl Marx called the terrible burden of the past. What examples can we find in the works we have read of the persistence of tradition in the modern world? Is this a good thing or a bad thing?

5. Some social critics have accused modern Japan of being spiritually bankrupt. Do you think this is true? What evidence can you find in the works we have read to support your conclusion?

6. One characteristic of the post war period is that Japanese writers have been exposed to the "Other" – Other people, other languages, other values, etc. How have the writers we have read deal with this experience?

7. Consider acts of sexual transgression depicted in the works we have read. What do they tell us about concepts of family and gender in post war Japan?