Theme of Fool\'s Love in Naomi

¶ … fool's love in Naomi by Junichiro Tanizaki

Naomi (1924) by the 20th century Japanese writer Junichiro Tanizaki has often been anachronistically called the Japanese Lolita in that it relates the obsession of a middle-aged man for a much younger woman. (Nabokov's novel was published in the 1950s). Tanizaki's male protagonist Joji is somewhat younger than Nabokov's Humbert and the female heroine Joji is somewhat older (although still a teenager) than Lolita. Rather than a tale of exploitation of a man lusting after a young girl and selfishly indulging his Pygmalion fantasies, Naomi instead functions more as a cautionary tale of the foolishness of patriarchal, idealistic love.

When Joji first spies Naomi, she is a waitress in a local cafe, and he is entranced by what he sees as her movie star-like appearance. Significantly, he compares her 'white' features to that of the famous American actress Mary Pickford, an adult actress who frequently played young children. Joji is taken by Naomi's apparent innocence, and becomes obsessed with making her into the 'perfect' woman. He fantasizes that he can be a father-figure for her, and also her lover and when he invites the girl to live with him, she accepts.

However, gradually, as the two of them get to know one another, the tables begin to 'turn' and Naomi takes control over the relationship. She is not as quick a 'study' as Joji first expected. Symbolically, she demands to ride on his back at one point, as if to demonstrate her mastery over him. She refuses to do any housework, for fear of ruining her pristine appearance, and runs up large clothing bills. The fact that Joji is so enamored with America is a significant part of his obsession with Naomi (which is also signified in her unusual name, a relatively rare one in Japan but a common one in the United States). However, she is incapable of learning English properly, once again spoiling his fantasy.

In Japanese culture, the so-called Lolita complex is well-known. Japan has been criticized for sexualizing very young girls in its popular culture, even if the women in advertisements and on television dressed up in childlike attire are actually adults. In 2008, the Asian Times criticized what it saw as Japan's lax child pornography laws "the manga (Japanese for 'print cartoons and comics') industry also remains unaffected by the new crackdown. Pornographic drawings and cartoons that depict children remain legal - and lucrative" (Sparrow 2008). In Naomi, Joji is shown stooping to play childish games with the heroine, and even gives her a bath during which she calls him 'daddy.'

This partially explains the frequently negative reaction American readers have to the novel. When Kirkus reviewed the book, it called the bathing scene 'kinky' and stated that "Jogi can refuse her nothing: her animality is too strong." But it is ultimately the young, silly girl who schools Joji rather than vice versa: even after she is unfaithful to him, he is still so obsessed with her he cannot contain himself or keep away. Naomi, once emblematic of the patriarchal fantasy of creating a woman that a man can control, is ultimately uncontrollable. She represents pure body, versus the mental world inhabited by the otherwise controlled Joji.