『源氏物語』アイロニー考 -すれ違う人間関係と物語の終焉-

Abstract

Everyone would feel that “Life is full of ironies” holds across times and countries. This may be one reason why various works feature ironies. This is also true of the Tale of Genji, which represents the Japanese classic literature. In this article, we focus on the irony depicted in “the Uji chapters,” attempting to reveal its ironical effects on the demise of the story. In this literary work, the relation between Ukifune and Yokokawa particularly presents an ironical structure. Although Souzu saved Ukifune who fell by Uji river and he then let her become a priest, he talked to Akaishi Chugu about Ukifune, whose personal information is unknown to him. This finally makes Kaoru realize the fact that Ukifune is alive. Souzu acts as a guardian of Ukifune, letting her become a priest in good faith, but this ironically leads her to be in the hurting environment of love affairs. Another ironical scene is where Kiinokami visits Ono and asks her to sew clothes to be used for the first anniversary of the death of Kaoru’s lady. It turns out, however, that the anniversary is for Ukifune herself, which means that Ukifune prepares for the anniversary of her death itself, a quite ironical scene. On the other hand, this scene reminds the readers of Kaoru’s emotion towards Ukifune. “the Uji chapters” encompasses a number of other ironical scenes, but almost all of them are concerned with the relation between Kaoru and Ukifune. They love each other, and Kaoru acts for the sake of Ukifune in good faith; still, Kaoru’s lack of understanding about Ukifune’s position and feeling results in their remote relationship and the story finally ends up with their not becoming a couple. The irony in “the Uji chapters” clarifies the relation between Kaoru and Ukifune as the one where they never become a couple through the story in which men and women misunderstand each other. The story is suddenly closed with this scene, which, I claim, implicates that a happy future will not come to Ukifune and Kaoru.