芥川龍之介『地獄変』論 : 良秀 自殺의 意味를 中心으로

Abstract

Yoshihide is a hero of 『Jigokuhen』 by Akutakawalyunosuke. This study considered about the Yoshihide's death problem. Akutakawa denied to reflect his every day in his products and attach importance to conscious composition and expression method. This Akutakawa's art for art's sake to pursue art for art merely and Yoshihide who adopted a positive attitude in completion of art as impractical existence had some relation from the point of view that they are fit for realization of perfect art for art's sake. Namely, Yoshihide is Akutakawa's ideal type that is expressed by conscious and intellectual mechanism. So ,in such a point, Akutakawa's artistic attitude had something in commom with Yoshihides' They have many points of likeness. A reality of life is hell to Yoshihide. Akutakawa's misfortunate life is hell, too. They look for escape from such a hell as art and they devote themselves for their art. Their attitude like this is that the art is the highest and it is originated by art for art's sake that can transcend everything as a strong belief on art. But, after all, they come to select a death as an end of life. Yoshihide believes that the completion of art can transcend every gnawing of life. So, after finishing his masterpiece that is the peak of ideals for him to pursue, the meaning of his death is significance loss of existence any longer. Further more, The beauty of Jigokuhen came to be greatest by his suicide, so it made his product illustrious. A writer Akutakawa suffered about heredity of mother's insanity and position of his product in change of period. In several complex factor, like his product often treat by death. If his life regard as a performance, his death is natural. Because it is method to look better art that he devote himself. So his death is the most natural and Akutakawa like, literature. Namely, Yoshihide's death that is significance loss of existence any longer as artist and making his product illustrious and Akutakawa's death that translate into art his life if his life regard as a performance had a same characteristic. that is natural as their life close to search for art for art's sake.