志賀直哉「暗夜行路」論

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The purpose of this essay is to argue that Shiga Naoya in his only long work of fiction (chohen shosetsu), An'ya Koro, combines the techniques used by two of the greatest novelists in modern Japan, Natsume Soseki and Shimazaki Toson. The opening part Michikusa, Soseki's autobiographical novel, and the ending of Yoakemae, Toson's historical novel, seem to be reflected in Shiga's novel. Soseki, who, for some time, had noted Shiga's literary gift, recommended in December 1913, that Shiga write a serialized novel for the Asahi newspaper. Shiga, who admired and respected Soseki, wished to meet the latter's high expectation and agreed to write such a novel. However, Shiga later realized that he could not write a novel in serial form. Thus, in July of the following year (1914), he had to tell Soseki in person that he would have to withdraw his agreement to write the novel for the paper. From June 3 to September 10, 1914, while Shiga was feeling guilty about his failure to meet Soseki's expectations, Soseki wrote Michikusa in a serial form for the Asahi. Michikusa, which is an echo of Suderman's early 20^<th> Century novel, translated into English as "Undying Past," has Kenzo as its main character. Shiga's "Kensaku no Tsuioku" (Kensaku's Recollection) (Shincho, January 1920), which is practically identical with the "Joshi" ("Prologue") (Kaizo, January 1921) of his later novel An'ya Koro, is a short story that has the theme of Kensaku's "undying past." With his novel Meian still in progress, Soseki died on December 9, 1915, a year after he wrote Michikusa. Shiga, who had not been able to live up to Soseki's expectations, must have felt a deep sense of remorse over his mentor's death. The themes in Shiga's "Claudius' Diary" (Shirakaba, September 1912) and in his unfinished piece, "Hamlet's Diary," are clearly carried over in his "Kensaku's Recollection." Is it not quite plausible, then, that Shiga's novelistic plan for An'ya koro had been greatly inspired by Soseki's Michikusa, which had been written in this interval ? The first half of An'ya Koro was begun with apparent ease in January 1921 and serialized in Kaizo from January to August 1921. It was published as a single volume in July 1922 by Shinchosha. Toward the end of 1921 Shiga began writing the second half, which deals with the circumstances leading to the main character Kensaku's marriage and beyond. But the task proved to be extremely difficult for the author. He had to interrupt his writing twice-first, from 1923 to 1925, and again, from 1928 to 1937-for a total of twelve years. Finally in 1937, the last section of the novel, Part IV, Chapters 16-20, appeared in the April (1937) issue of Kaizo. An'ya Koro is written from the point of view of Kensaku, the main character, throughout Volume 1 and Volume 2, except for the very last section, where the point of view is shifted to that of Kensaku's wife, Naoko. This ending resembles conspicuously that of Toson's novel Yoakemae (published in four installments in Chuokoron, April 1929-October 1935). Toson, as is well known, is the author who had taken a path completely different from that of Shiga in character, style, and outlook. Toson's Yoakemae is written from multiple points of view, that is, each chapter employing a different character who serves as its point of view. The segment ending with the burial of the main character Aoyama Hanzo is written from the point of view of Katsushige, Hanzo's disciple and spiritual heir. Shiga's An'ya Koro concludes with a desire for life, while Yoakemae ends with the protagonist's death. In each case, the shift in the point of view is critical. Upon the completion of Yoakemae, Toson decided to republish all of his writing in a newly arranged-for, ten-volume Toson Bunko. Yoakemae, Part I, was published as its first volume, and Yoakemae, Part II, as its second. Two years later, in 1937, Yamamoto Sanehiko, the president of Kaizosha Publishing Co., proposed publication of "The Collected Works" of Shiga Naoya. At that point, can we not assume that Shiga thought about Soseki, whom he had admired ever since he began to write, about Toson, whose Yoakemae had served as a contrast to Soseki's work, and about the Toson Bunko ? And that, Shiga, at their silent instigation, put all his creative energy into writing, and as a consequence was able to complete the proposed "Collected Works"? And, perhaps, by shifting the point of view, by a stroke of genius as it were, Shiga was enabled to make the conclusion of his An'ya Koro so moving. Hence, I argue that An'ya Koro in its opening reflects Soseki's Michikusa, and in its conclusion, Toson's Yoakemae.
1997-12-25

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剣持武彦
清泉女子大学文学部 (元)

志賀直哉「暗夜行路」論

スポンサーリンク

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