太宰治の「きりぎりす」論‒全体主義からの逃走‒

Abstract

Osamu Dazai’s “Grasshopper”is a work based on the motive of ‘Anti-custom Spirit’ and is evaluated as illustrating the self-criticism on the popularization of the writer himself. However, at the same time, the work is criticized for easy or soft expressions on such theme causing controversial evaluations as well. Such controversial evaluations are based on attempts to read the story focusing on “husband” reminding the writer and failures to understand various timely arguments contained in the story. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the work from the point of the woman, the speaker of story and review the story referencing contexts in the same era. In 1940s, the decade when the work was written, “New System Movement” was under progression. This movement promoted the unification of the national citizen’s spirit under the totalitarianism while excluding the individualism and the liberalism causing obstacles for the war basis. Dazai expresses his values for the movement through his work“Grasshopper”. The main character who has values of the individualism and the liberalism criticizes her husband who blindly follows the trend and announces to separate from him. Such story of work shows the writer’s critical view against the totalitarianism. Also, the main character has contradictory female images simultaneously as a self-centric woman and a poor but honest woman required by the time. But, the writer has revealed this was a strategy to avoid the censorship.