震災文学としての芥川龍之介の「疑惑」論

Abstract

“Suspicion” by Ryunosuke Akutagawa deals with the ethical agony of being confronted with human selfishness emerging from the gaps in the moral system caused by a major disaster, along with the guilt, anxiety, and fear associated with it. The protagonist, who is a practical ethicist, listens helplessly to the story of Gendo, which reminds him of pitiful weakness in human nature. Gendo’s story leads the protagonist to feel sympathy, as he believes that such selfishness, or the “monster” in the subconscious of humans transcends ethical or moral judgement. “Suspicion” can thus be viewed as an attempt to grasp the essence of human nature that is more fundamental than morality, as manifested in the traumatic memories of Gendo. Consistent with the definition of disaster literature, “Suspision” attempts to offer solace and heal the trauma caused by a disaster by recognizing and verbalizing certain aspects of human nature that are beyond ethical judgement. This view allows for a new interpretation of “Suspicion” as disaster literature inspired by the Great Nobi Earthquake.