宮沢賢治と女性

Abstract

This study sheds some light on the women appearing throughout Kenji’s life and investigates how the status of women in his own cognizance affects his work. This study narrows women down to four who have greatly influenced him throughout his life. The four women include the two family members and the two lovers. The two family members includes his mother who has been a sturdy and pillar throughout his life and Toshiko, two-year younger sister, on whom Kenji spiritually depends. The two lovers are the nurse Mine, his first love whom he met when he was admitted to Iwate Hospital at the age of 18 and Chiei with whom there was a talk of marriage in 1928 when he was 32 years old. Kenji’s famous poem 「Not Losing To The Rain」 originates from what his mother taught him and his great mother’s influence has formed the foundation for his way of thinking. Toshiko, who believed in the same religion as Kenji with a proclivity toward religion, was a lifetime companion and was significantly meaningful to him. She was deeply involved in Kenji’s life and his writing as shown by three poems Kenji wrote upon Toshiko’s death. Kenji was admitted to Iwate Hospital to have an operation for his hypertrophic rhinitis. While in the hospital, he met the nurse Mine and she was his first love. He told his parents that he would like to marry her for the first time and his feeling was well expressed in his poem. His friend Itho Nanao introduced his younger sister Chie to Kenji. On the arranged date, both Kenji and Chie were attracted to each other and how Kenji felt about this date was shown in his work. However, they did not advance to a talk of marriage when Nanao died. The two people led their own life independently at their respective places. This study examines his mother and younger sister’s influence, failed first love with Mine, his health, his love for farmers and his religiously sublimated passion, his belief and goal for the life exist for others’ life rather than his own happiness are examined as reasons for his failure to marry anyone against his wish for a marriage, Kenji never married.