Comparative Literature of Ambivalence in Junichiro Tanizaki’s Naomi and Jean Rhys’ Wide Sargasso Sea: Postcolonial Study

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the representation of ambivalence in the female protagonists of Naomi by Jun'ichirō Tanizaki and Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys. The study applies a postcolonial approach using the concept of ambivalence proposed by Homi K. Bhabha as the theoretical framework. The research employs a qualitative method with textual analysis of selected passages that reveal forms of ambivalence in both novels. The findings show that ambivalence in the female characters emerges through three main forms: mimicry, the dynamics of desire and anxiety, and the instability of colonial authority. In Naomi, the character Naomi represents ambivalence through her attempt to imitate Western lifestyles, which eventually reverses the power relationship with Jōji. Meanwhile, in Wide Sargasso Sea, Antoinette expresses ambivalence through the tension between the desire for acceptance and the anxiety produced by colonial relations and fragmented cultural identity. Although both characters experience ambivalence in the process of identity formation, the different historical and social contexts lead to different consequences. Naomi ultimately gains a stronger position within her personal relationship, whereas Antoinette experiences marginalization and psychological fragmentation. This study demonstrates that female characters in both novels function as sites where identity negotiation reflects the tensions between Western modernity, colonial power, and cultural identity.