中島敦文学と植民地主義 - 朝鮮․満州․南洋群島の軌跡 -

Abstract

In this article, we shall analyze Atsushi Nakajima’s literary works featuring Chosen, Manchuria, and the South Sea Islands, tracing the transitions of Nakajima’s recognition of the Colonialism. Firstly, “Junsa-no Iru Fukei (巡査の居る風景)” describes, with a tense mood, the scenes where the Chosen people, who were ruled during the colonial period, experienced the confusions and contradictions concerning their identities, had the hidden intention for the independence of Chosen, and suffered from the violence of the Imperial Japan. Secondly, “D-shi Shichigatsu Jokei (D市七月叙景 (一)),” a literary work of Manchuria, dramatically contrasts the Japanese residents with the Chinese laborers with reference to the South Manchuria Railway. In this piece of work, we find the criticism of the Colonialism of the Imperial Japan, which was based on the sacrifice of the other tribes. The author, however, did not shed light on the substantial aspects of the Chinese people; it appears that the author wrote this work in the lights of his thoughts on both Japan and China, rather than from the perspective specifically relating to China. Thirdly, “Fubutsu Shou (風物抄)” describes, with an exotic mood, the natural landscape of the South Sea islands as well as the life of the native people there. At the heart of this work, however, lies Nakajima’s recognition of the South Sea area as an uncivilized region, contrasted with Japan, a modernized country in his view. Through the systematic analyses of these three literary works, we conclude that as the theme of Nakajima’s works changed from Chosen, Manchuria, to the South Sea Island, his recognition of the colonialism also changed from his support to the local people’s opposition to the Imperial Japan’s colonialism, his neutral position as to the issue, to his biased view on the South Sea area as an uncivilized region.