SILVER 1999.057

Through her investigation of how contemporary identity is both reflected and constructed by television and cinema, Shelly Silver examines the ways in which popular narratives can articulate fictions of the self. In 37 stories about leaving home, a group of Japanese women living in Tokyo recount personal experiences of departure. Their intimate, individual perspectives chart societal changes across three generations of women in Japan, revealing a complex and often conflicting array of choices and positions. Many of the stories revolve around relationships between grandmothers, mothers and daughters, marked by respect, rebellion, loss and love. The interviews are framed by a Japanese folktale of a mother's search for her daughter, who was abducted by an oni (a demon or monster).