Fortunes Child

Koko Mizumi, the heroine of the novel, refuses the traditional roles assigned to women and mothers, which are still prevalent in contemporary Japan. At the age of thirty-six, she raises her daughter alone and manages to escape the strong pressure of conformism. Although passive, her resistance sometimes keeps her in a state of indecision, depriving her of influence over the characters around her. Koko believes she is pregnant, but it turns out to be a nervous pregnancy. Through this experience, she raises questions about motherhood and abortion (which she condemns), as well as the acute issue of single mothers in Japan. This also allows the heroine to become aware of the inalterable part of the individual, even when covered by layers of dreams, memories, and illusions.

In this novel, published in 1978, Yûko Tsushima seeks to explore the realms of reality and illusion. She was awarded the Women's Literature Prize in Japan for The Fortune Child. Koko, the thirty-six-year-old protagonist, raises her daughter single-handedly and succeeds in escaping the strong pressure of conformism that is still prevalent in contemporary Japan. Despite her passive resistance, she sometimes finds herself in a state of indecision, which deprives her of influence over the characters around her. Believing she is pregnant, Koko soon realizes that it is a nervous pregnancy, which allows her to raise questions about motherhood and abortion (which she condemns), as well as the sensitive issue of single mothers in Japan. This experience also enables the heroine to become aware of the inalterable part of the individual, even when it is veiled by layers of dreams, memories, and illusions.

In this novel, published in 1978, Yûko Tsushima explores the realms of reality and illusion. She was awarded the Women's Literature Prize in Japan for The Fortune Child. The protagonist, Koko Mizumi, is a thirty-six-year-old woman who raises her daughter alone and manages to escape the strong pressure of conformism that still exists in contemporary Japan. Although her resistance is passive, it sometimes keeps her in a state of indecision, depriving her of influence over the characters around her. Koko believes she is pregnant, but it turns out to be a nervous pregnancy, which allows her to raise questions about motherhood and abortion (which she condemns), as well as the acute issue of single mothers in Japan. This experience also enables the heroine to become aware of the inalterable part of the individual, even when it is covered by layers of dreams, memories, and illusions.

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