I have read a novel by Hiroko Endo, “Sampo Shojo”. It is for all the people who like to study logic for their own fun. It is a story of a little woman who studied and taught mathematics with curiosity in Edo period, and her social interactions represented the cultures of the age. Although this story is meant to read by pupils, elementary philosophy, history, art, education, cultural studies, social sciences are all involved in the story and it is a fun to read it even by adults. The development of the little woman’s mind is a timeless theme and as a story of Edo period, it also has a temporal theme. Socio-politically it reports the natures of society in Edo period. Literary-historically “Sampo Shojo”, which actually exists in real, is the only publication in Edo period that a female author is credited in a mathematical textbook. The individuality and existence of little women in the light of Edo period enhance the life and propagation of human values even in the contemporary period. The style of narratology is simple and there is not so much to say for what are not described.
From the viewpoint of structuralism the plot of the story is very simple and is good for pupils. From the viewpoint of post-structuralism there is not so much to mention. From the viewpoint of feminism it revalues women’s experiences.
Overall, this novel is suitable for pupils who like to think logically. The animation movie of the story was released before.
https://shunadachi.hatenablog.com/entry/2017/07/24/001504
