Lafcadio Hearn (Or Koizumi Yakumo) (1850-1904)

Author(s): Beongcheon Yu
Source: American Literary Realism, 1870-1910, Vol. 1, No. 1 (Fall, 1967), pp. 52-55
Published by: University of Illinois Press
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/27747562 .
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LAFCADIO HEARN (or KOIZUMI YAKUMO) (1850-1904)

Yu
by Beongcheon
State
(Wayne
University)

I.

Hearn

A Retrospect

Studies:

in American
One of the few emigr? writers
Lafcadio
literature,
is no doubt a marginal
Hearn
Yet no other American writers of
figure.
more romantic interest and more heated debate.
his stature have elicited
Hearn controversy
The so-called
flared up soon after his death in
when
his LIFE AND LETTERS
Elizabeth
Bisland
Japan,
published
(1906).
Although her intentions were perfectly honorable,
Bisland,
glossing
over certain aspects
of his life, did her best to idealize
her erstwhile
Her version,
did not go unchallenged
friend.
however,
by another
some new facts which were often
friend George M. Gould.
Introducing
in CONCERNING
LAFCADIO
insightful but blatantly
twisted, Gould,
his attack on those vulnerable
HEARN (1908),
concentrated
sides of
was
in
Hearn's
Soon
to
this
melee
Yone
join
Noguchi,
personality.
whose
LAFCADIO
HEARN IN JAPAN (1910),
impassioned
defense,
only
contro
the whole
helped add to rather than settle the dust.
Surveying
in HEARN AND HIS BIOGRAPHERS
declared
versy, Oscar
Lewis,
(1930),
Hearn to be "the most loved and the most hated figure in recent literary
history."

results of this prolonged

One of the unfortunate
controversy was
concern
an excessive
studies:
that it set the pattern for early Hearn
in Kennard
with his life, as is reflected
Tanabe
(1912),
(Ryuji Tanabe,
1914 ], Japanese
YAKUMO
U Press,[
KOIZUMI
text),
Tokyo: Waseda
?
in orienta
and Temple
Tinker (1925),
(1931)
invariably biographical
tion,

often

Several
sure.

his

neglecting

difficulties

First,

art.

there to confront

are always

checkered

his

life,

colorful

one,

to be

scholars,
a

encompasses

succes

sion of periods:
French, American,
Irish, English,
Mediterranean,
of his life must
account
West
and Japanese.
Indian,
Any satisfactory
therefore

ately
ready

trace

each

and

all

of

in terms of his growth as

pattern

of

growth,

his

art

these

phases

an artist.
is

even

more

and

adequately

If his

life refuses

elusive

as

we

52

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proportion

to yield

attempt

a
to

53
center

a unifying

discern
translator,

in his multifarious
travel

story-teller,

so forth. And then, there

which
literary and cultural
In

II.

sense

this

lenge

to all

Recent

Hearn's

interested

Studies:

is

writer,

as

activities

teacher,

a journalist,

essayist,

thinker,

and

is also the question

of his identity?namely
tradition he can claim properly as his own.
a

quite

unique

case,

posing

an

exciting

chal

students.

Biography

and Criticism

we are yet without

a definitive
While
study of his life, let alone his
have witnessed
efforts toward a
art, the last two decades
significant
more objective,
In
balanced
both biography
and criticism.
synthesis?in
the former are Vera McWilliams,
LAFCADIO
HEARN (Boston:
Houghton
2 vols.
Hoku
Mifflin,
1946), Marcel
Robert, LAFCADIO
HEARN,
(Tokyo:
seido Press,
HEARN (NY:
and Elizabeth
LAFCADIO
Stevenson,
1950-51),
all sober in tone and eager to lend much needed
Macmillan,
1961),
judi
to our knowledge
ciousness
of Hearn's
career.
Frost's
O. W.
Especially
the
YOUNG HEARN (Tokyo: Hokuseido
Press,
1958) did much to unravel
complicated

circumstances

surrounding

his

early

years.

More or less the same with Hearn criticism.

the early studies
Unlike
two opposing
views?on
the one hand, Amenomori
sharply divided between
the Man,"
ATLANTIC MONTHLY,
"Lafcadio
Amenomori,
Hearn,
(Nobushige
XCVI
still worth reading;
and More,
and on the other,
[Oct 1905] , 510-25)
Porter and Josephson?the
an appreciable
recent studies
have achieved
art and thought:
degree of detachment,
focusing
primarily on Hearn's
Malcolm
NEW REPUBLIC,
CXX (18 Apr
"Lafcadio
Hearun-san,"
Cowley,
22-24
to SELECTED
"Lafcadio
(see also his introduction,
1949),
Hearn,"
WRITINGS
OF LAFCADIO
ed.
Goodman
[NY: Citadel,
HEARN,
Henry
Views on the Realism
of
Hearn's
"Lafcadio
1949]); Albert J. Salvan,
Allen
LXVII
"Lafcadio
E.
1163-67;
PMLA,
Zola,"
(Dec 1952),
Tuttle,
Hearn and the Soul of the Far East,"
CONTEMPORARY
JAPAN, XXIII (1955),
Edward Stokes,
"Lafcadio
Hearn's
529-52;
JOURNAL OF THE
CHITA,"
AUSTRALASIAN UNIVERSITIES
LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE ASSOCIATION,
to a Pagan* Not by Hearn,"
5 (1957),
"'Letters
No.
1-9; Albert Mordell,
1 (1955-60,
5th anniversary
TODAY'S
and
89-98;
issue),
JAPAN, V, No.
Aesthetics
of Organic Memory,"
STUDIES
"Lafcadio
Hearn's
my articles:
Hearn's
IN ENGLISH
XXXVIII (Nov 1961),
1-28, and "Lafcadio
LITERATURE,
XXXIV
Twice-Told
AMERICAN
Reconsidered,"
LITERATURE,
(Mar
Legends
56-71.
1962),
in his literary and cultural milieu
Serious
attempts to place Hearn
Critic of American Life and
"Lafcadio
Hearn,
Lawless,
Ray McKinley
of Chicago,
doctoral
Letters"
1940);
thesis,
University
(Unpublished
Allen E. Tuttle,
Hearn and Herbert Spencer"
"Lafcadio
(Unpublished

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are

54
Northwestern
doctoral
thesis,
1950); JohnAshmead,
University,
Jr.,
"The Idea of Japan 1853-1895"
doctoral
Harvard
(Unpublished
thesis,
THE JAPANESE TRADITION
IN BRITISH
1951); and Earl Miner,
University,
AND AMERICAN
Princeton U Press,
LITERATURE
(Princeton:
1958).
studies of Hearn*s
LAFCADIO
Book-length
thought are Fumio Hozumi,
HEARN'S VIEWS OF SOCIETY
the first
1949), perhaps
(Tokyo: Yuhikaku,
serious
this
of
of
Kenzo
Hearn's
and
aspect
study
Tsukijima,
philosophy,
LAFCADIO
HEARN'S VIEWS OF JAPAN (Tokyo:
of
1965)?both
Keisoshobo,
which are in Japanese
and deserve mention.
Another recent study is my
AN APE OF GODS:
THE ART AND THOUGHT
OF LAFCADIO
HEARN (Detroit:
in
Hearn's
State U Press,
achievement
Wayne
1964), which assesses
terms of his art, criticism,
and philosophy.

Primary Sources

III.

For

This
nese
ed.

better

or

and Bibliography

for worse,

Hearn

can

never

be

severed

from

Japan.

In testimony to the perennial

also is true with Hearn studies.
Japa
Kazuo Hearn,
interest in Hearn are recent publications:
RE-ECHO,
a col
Caxton
Idaho:
Printers,
Nancy
1957),
Jane Fellers
(Caldwell,

lection

of

his

stories,

cards,

etc.;

drawings,

Ichiro

ed.,

Nishizaki,

Letters from Lafcadio

Hearn to Dr. Rudolph Matas,"
"Newly Discovered
VIII (Tokyo,
IN ARTS AND CULTURE,
STUDIES
UNIVERSITY
OCHANOMIZU
HEARN
IN
IZUMO
LAFCADIO
and
85-118;
Kajitani,
Yasuyuki
1956),
which
sheds much light on
in Japanese,
Imaishoten,
1964),
(Matsue:
Matsue

Hearn's

period.

of Hearn's
collected
several volumes
Ichiro Nishizaki
journalistic
BUYING CHRISTMAS
BARBAROUS BARBERS AND OTHER STORIES;

writings:

TOYS AND OTHER ESSAYS; LITERARYESSAYS; THE NEW RADIANCE AND

and ORIENTAL ARTICLES

OTHER SCIENTIFIC
SKETCHES;
He is also editing Hearn's West
seido Press,
1939).
Hearn's

the United
collections
Hearn

manuscripts

and

other

items

are

scattered

(Tokyo: Hoku
Indian notebook.
all

over

Japan

and

those of his Japanese

States.
period are in the
Especially
and in the
of Tenrikyo,
and
Toyama Universities,
Tokyo,

Memorial

Museum

at Matsue.

in the United States

Those
(see also AMERICAN LITERARY MANU
are in the Public Library of
Texas
U
of
SCRIPTS
Press,
I960])
[Austin:
set of Hearn's
letters; the only complete
Cincinnati
early jour
(several
the
and
YE
bibliog
GIGLAMPZ;
nalistic
venture,
probably most complete
the
to the ENQUIRER
and COMMERCIAL);
raphy of his contributions
letters; and 2700 items in the George M.
(a dozen
Library of Congress
the Houghton
of Hearniana);
collection
Gould
Library of Harvard University

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55
in the Edward L.
(a large number of letters and other items, especially
Tinker collection
of Hearniana);
the Henry E. Huntington
Library (40
Indian notebook);
the New York Public Library
letters; and Hearn's West
items in the Berg Collec
(a number of letters and other miscellaneous
of letters and 14 manu
tion); and the Tulane University
Library (scores
Most of these letters appeared
in Bisland's
script items).
LETTERS,
some

omitted.

portions

Both P. D. and lone Perkins,

A BIBLIOGRAPHY
LAFCADIO
HEARN:
OF
HIS WRITINGS
and Martha H. Sisson,
(Boston:
Houghton Mifflin,
1934),
"A Bibliography
of Lafcadio
XV
BULLETIN OF BIBLIOGRAPHY,
Hearn,"
still remain reliable
(1933-34),
guides,
though neither is complete
by
Frost's
of Hearn's
O. W.
any means.
compilation
unpublished
journalis
as complete
tic writings
as exists.
during the Cincinnati
period is probably
is Showa Women's
Also available
in Japanese
Modern
Litera
University
ture Seminar,
VII (Tokyo,
LITERATURE STUDIES
SERIES,
ed., MODERN
which offers much valuable
information on the Hearn
283-514,
1957),
in Japan.
studies

A Prospect

Studies:

Hearn

IV.

there is still more to be

Although much has been done about Hearn,
is
since
the
At least three general
done,
subject
complicated.
hopelessly
seem

areas

to

for

call

fresh

and

research.

vigorous

More
attempts should be made to collect
systematic
(restore in some
Hearn's
letters, which are the most important source material,
cases)
his newspaper
and thereby
gather his writings,
contributions,
especially
of his writings.
prepare a complete
bibliography

Indies
at

sojourn in the French West

two-year
to any attempt
serious
obstacle
explored?a
his

In biography
especially
is still inadequately

a balanced

In

the

career.

of Hearn's

account

an

meantime,

overall

of

re-examination

Hearn's

art

and

Indeed,
thought in the context of contemporary
history should continue.
there are a number of problems:
To students of American
literature?
Hearn's
(over

with

relationships
Whitman);

to

Poe,

students

G.

W.

and W.

Cable,

of American

D.

O'Connor
relation

civilization?Hearn's

his interest in folk lore, mythology,

and eth
ship with H. E. Krehbiel;
to
his
to
students
of
and
and
contribution
American
journalism;
nology;
Buddhism
views

use

literature?Hearn's

comparative

in conjunction

of Hearn.

In

any

with
case,

use of Japanese
scholarship,
definitive
study of Hearn's

of

Japanese

the

future

Hearn

without which
life and art.

his

materials;

and above

Evolutionism;

studies

all

need

it is difficult

of

study

the Japanese

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full

to make

to expect