『破戒』から『春』へ –文末表現の変化が意味するもの–

Abstract

Research on “The Broken Commandment (破戒)” (1906) has mainly focused on its context up until now. However, recent research is starting to focus more on expressions than on the context itself. However, there is not much prior research on word-ending expressions of this literary texts. This research mainly focuses on the word-ending expression “nodearu”, a unique expression found in Toson’s “The Broken Commandment.”The key content will be about the relationship with the period then, the analysis between the expressions in “The Broken Commandment” and “Spring,” and what the differences actually mean. As a result, word-ending expression “nodearu” in “The Broken Commandment” follows the expression used during the period after “Tajyoutakon” and has been made clear that “nodearu” is a strong expression of the narrator whether it is for explaining or reasoning based on analyzing linguistics research papers. “Spring” is based on Toson and his colleagues, suggestively expressing other characters’ emotional expressions apart from Kishimoto whom was modeled after Toson, and Aoki modeled after Kitamura Toukoku. The problem here is on the model’s emotional expressions in “The Broken Commandment” and “Spring,” due to the emotional expression (e.g., sad, happy) that can normally be only used in a first person perspective, but can also turn into a third person perspective usage if “nodearu” is used as the word-ending expression. Many expressions ending with “nodearu” in “The Broken Commandment” is in third person perspective to express feelings, but in “Spring,” those expressions are not as viable-leading to the decreased usage of “nodearu.” This decrease in the usage of “nodearu” led to the reduction of strong expressions from the narrator. Toson’s literature really began to face naturalism after “Spring.” His tried to write the novel so that the narrator does not show oneself in the context, the exact opposite of the usage of “nodearu” expressions. What this research is arguing is that it the change from “The Broken Commandment” to “Spring.” is not only about Toson himself. If the past tense expression “ta” is interpreted as the final destination of modern novels, it means that there is a possibility for future advancement of this usage.