Assisted Reproductive Technologies and Breasts and Eggs (2023)
A Debate on the Novel, DI Guidelines, and Donor Anonymity
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17851/1982-0739.31.2.170-188Keywords:
Breasts and Eggs, assisted reproduction, donor insemination, parenthood, identityAbstract
This article aims at analysing the novel Breasts and Eggs (2023) by Mieko Kawakami from a perspective that remains underexplored in its critical reception: the male experience in relation to assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs). This study shifts the focus to Jun Aizawa, who presents himself as interested in the debate over the right of individuals conceived through donor insemination (DI) to know their biological origins. In terms of methods, the article combines a close reading of the novel with an analysis of the Japanese sociopolitical context, and the lack of specific legislation on ARTs in Japan. Within this framework, the study examines the issue of donor anonymity and its ethical, legal, and subjective implications. The article concludes that the novel expands contemporary debates on assisted reproduction by articulating multiple perspectives and by problematizing issues related to reproductive rights, the definition of parenthood, and the limits between individual desire, ethical responsibility, and identity formation.
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