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Abstract
This thesis utilizes Michael Warner's theory of counterpublics to engage with two novellas by Shirin Nezammafi, Salam and White Paper. I critically reconsider the use and reception of ekkyō bungaku ("border-crossing" literature) in contemporary Japanese literary criticism. I intend to shift the critical framework of ekkyō literature away from strictly defined Westphalian nation-state identities, proposing instead a more nuanced view of ekkyō that engages with systemic and societal boundaries that exist beyond the context of national borders. I situate Shirin Nezammafi, Salam, and White Paper within this discourse, positing ways in which she both adheres to and complicates a narrowly defined vision of ekkyō that emerges from national boundaries.
