아베 고보의 제4간빙기 론 - 비현실 묘사를 통한 현실 인식을 중심으로 -

Abstract

Kobo Abe’s “Inter Ice Age 4” is estimated as the first serious full-length SF novel in Japan. There are not many theses on the novel, and in most of the cases, the studies have focused on scientific materials portrayed in the work, on analysis of the main characters, ‘I’ and his assistant Yoriki, or on the aquatic boy in the future forecast. Thus, this paper studies the novel focusing on animals, fetus, and the woman providing the fetus that are victimized in the surreal portrayal of aquatic human engineering. It is because I think the issues of lack of animal ethics, abortion regarding Eugenic Protection Law, and women’s social position stand out in “Inter Ice Age 4”. The structure where an organization named ‘Undersea Development Society’, which intervenes in the private lives of individuals and controls their lives, builds alliances with and assists the government in order to accomplish their purpose reflects the Japanese officials and the financial leaders who set forth abortion as a measure, worrying the economic benefits would be encroached upon after Japan had lost World War 2. Though the aquatic human society portrayed in the future forecast and the present society in the novel have different social systems, communism and democracy respectively, they have it in common that they oppress individuals and restrictively share information to achieve certain purposes. From this, we can figure out the novel brings up the problem that those in power victimize those put in relatively weak positions and use them as a means regardless of what system the society has.