Challenging Familiar Boundaries and Blurred Lines in Yoko Tawada’s Memoirs of a Polar Bear

Abstract

Yoko Tawada’s Memoirs of a Polar Bear engages multiple fields—including Asian German studies, animal studies, postcolonial theory, and the public humanities—through the story of an unnamed polar bear writing her autobiography. The novel blurs the boundary between humans and animals, using ambiguous language and narrative perspective to examine questions of identity, agency, and the rights of both humans and nonhumans. Tawada’s polar bear, as narrator and author, challenges traditional hierarchies and compels readers to reconsider what it means to give voice and recognition to the marginalized.

At the same time, the novel aligns with postcolonial and public humanities concerns by decentering dominant narratives. By foregrounding a perspective historically excluded from both literature and society, Tawada’s work enacts a form of narrative justice, inviting readers to engage with experiences of displacement, otherness, and historical silencing. Reading the novel through these intersecting lenses illuminates how literature can serve as a tool for empathy, ethical reflection, and social critique.

Ultimately, Memoirs of a Polar Bear demonstrates the value of attending to underrepresented voices in both fiction and reality. By exploring the ethical and political dimensions of storytelling, Tawada’s work reminds us of the transformative potential of literature to foster understanding across boundaries of species, culture, and historical experience.