2024 Volume 29 Pages 51-60
This paper represents part of a larger research project on exploring the potential of a reflective reading program in classical literature for upper secondary schools used since 2021. The material for the research project, which can be found in several textbooks, is Chapter 89 from Essays in Idleness (Tsureduregusa), by Kenko Yoshida. In the story, a monk is swayed by his own delusion, in which he is tormented by a monstrous creature called "Nekomata." At the end of the chapter, the narrator reveals that the creature was just a playful pet dog, which would naturally cause any reader to laugh. Consideration is mainly given to the question "What text structure would persuasively cause such an effect on the readers?" This study was carried out with third-year university students who were not necessarily familiar with this piece of classical literature. With the above question in mind, the students analyzed how they could visualize themselves as readers of Chapter 89, in hopes of re-examining and improving the potential of the reflective reading program for upper secondary school teaching.
