著者

市川 紘美

出版者

東京女子大学

雑誌

日本文學 (ISSN:03863336)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.101, pp.83-96, 2005-03-15

著者

市川 紘美

雑誌

東京女子大学紀要論集 (ISSN:04934350)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.61, no.2, pp.1-24, 2011-03-15

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Kyoka Izumi's Ryutantan (1896) is written as a first-person narrative. In the story, the narrator “Ware" (I) seeks out a Mother who does not exist. Previous studies have interpreted Ryutantan to show “a union of mother and child" or “the formation of Ware's ego." However, there are no concrete descriptions of his deceased mother or memories of her in the story. “Ware" creates images based on an imagined mother figure and seeks her out in various ways. However, the women that he meets are not able to become this nonexistent “Mother" that he has created in his imagination. This paper shows that “Ware" is doomed to never find this mother figure that can fulfill his desires.“Ware's" assertiveness can be seen in his quest to find the nonexistent “Mother". However, the narrative is in a passive voice, creating a discrepancy between the story and the narrator's voice. In addition, toward the end of the story, “Ware" abruptly discontinues the narration, and a change to an outsider's third-person voice occurs. In a hopeless pursuit to fulfill his desire, “Ware" becomes unable to complete the narrative. This “Ware," who cannot find completion, falls short of establishing his “self."In Ryutantan, the story unfolds by linking the drifting of the subject between reality and the nonexistent, to his continued pursuit to find the nonexistent mother figure. This state of suspension between reality and the nonexistent can also be found in the late works of Kyoka. One can say Ryutantan holds the possibility to go beyond reality.