Modern Literature: Let's Journey Through the History of Our "Hearts"!
Hello, everyone! Starting today, we’re going to begin our study of "Modern Literature." You might be thinking, "Modern literature? Isn't that just a bunch of books written in difficult, old-fashioned language?" But actually, that’s not the case at all.
Modern literature is the place where "the language we use today" and "the struggles we feel today" were born. Struggling with love, searching for who you are, questioning society—writers from over a hundred years ago grappled with many of the same things we do today, and they turned those experiences into stories.
By studying this chapter, the texts in your textbook will start to feel much more relatable. Let’s take it one step at a time and have fun along the way!
1. The Dawn of Modern Literature: When Language Changes, the World Changes
As Japan moved from the Edo period to the Meiji era, the country changed drastically. The biggest change in the world of literature was the movement to bring "written language" closer to "spoken language."
The "Genbun-Itchi" (Unification of Spoken and Written Language) Movement
Back in the day, the language people spoke and the language they wrote were completely different. It would be like us saying "For real?" in conversation, but having to write "It is indeed so" whenever we put pen to paper. It’s pretty hard to express your true feelings that way, right?
That’s when a man named Futabatei Shimei wrote his novel The Drifting Cloud (Ukigumo) in a style close to natural speech. This became the foundation for the Japanese we write today.
【Key Point】
Genbun-Itchi = "Writing as you speak." This allowed authors to realistically depict the complex inner workings of the human heart.
【Trivia】
There is a theory that the pen name "Futabatei Shimei" came from his father yelling at him, "You guy, just go 'kutabatte shimei' (drop dead)!" It seems he was a man with a bit of a sense of humor.
2. The Two Giants of Meiji: Ogai and Soseki
When talking about modern literature, you absolutely cannot leave out Mori Ogai and Natsume Soseki. Both were the elite of their time, but their styles were completely different.
Mori Ogai: Intellectual and Cool!
He was a military doctor who studied abroad in Germany. His most famous work is The Dancing Girl (Maihime), which depicts a tragic romance he experienced while studying abroad. In his early years, he followed Romanticism, a style that valued ideals and passion.
Natsume Soseki: The National Author Who Captured the Japanese Heart
After returning from his studies in England, he became a massive hit with books like I Am a Cat and Botchan. Later in his life, he began to deeply explore "human egoism," leaving behind masterpieces like Kokoro.
【Understand via Analogy!】
・Think of Ogai as "the logical, smart upperclassman."
・Think of Soseki as "the teacher who stands by your side when you’re struggling."
That image should help you keep them straight!
【Common Mistake】
If you read Soseki’s works thinking they are "just funny stories," you might be surprised by the serious tone in the second half. He was an author who painted everything from "laughter" to "the darkness of the human heart."
3. Pursuing Reality! "Naturalism" and the Rebellion Against It
Towards the end of the Meiji period, a philosophy called Naturalism became popular.
What is Naturalism?
It’s the idea that you should "stop trying to look cool and write about reality exactly as it is (especially the ugly parts of human nature)." Shimazaki Toson’s The Broken Commandment (Hakai) and Tayama Katai’s The Quilt (Futon) are famous examples.
【Step: The Flow of Naturalism】
1. Think, "Writing only about ideals is fake!"
2. Decide, "Let’s write about the messy, raw truth of human nature!"
3. As a result, the "I-novel" (shishosetsu) was born, where authors would expose every detail of their private lives.
Anti-Naturalism: The Shirakaba (White Birch) School, etc.
People like Shiga Naoya and Mushanokoji Saneatsu of the Shirakaba School stood up and said, "It’s boring to only write about dark things!" They valued brightness, individual will, and the power of life.
【Memorization Tip】
・Naturalism = So real that it’s like, "Whoa, that’s dark..."
・Shirakaba School = Positive, like, "Let’s live true to ourselves!"
4. From Taisho to Showa: An Era of Beauty and Intellect
Entering the Taisho era, "artistic" works that were shorter and more satisfying to read began to increase.
Akutagawa Ryunosuke
He is the god of the short story. He was a master at taking old tales and remaking them from a modern perspective, as seen in Rashomon and The Nose (Hana). His prose is famously logical and beautiful.
The Neo-Sensationalist School (Shin-kankaku-ha)
In the early Showa period, Kawabata Yasunari and others challenged new forms of expression. Kawabata, famous for Snow Country, valued the resonance of words and a cinema-like, visual beauty.
【Trivia】
Kawabata Yasunari was the first Japanese person to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. His writing was felt to be incredibly beautiful, even by people abroad.
5. Post-War Literature: Rebirth from the Depths
After the war ended, the values held until then crumbled. Amidst that, Dazai Osamu gained immense popularity.
The Burai-ha (Decadent School): Dazai Osamu and Others
In the confusion of the post-war era, these were writers who lived while exposing their own flaws, declaring that they could "no longer believe in existing morals." Works like No Longer Human (Ningen Shikkaku) and The Setting Sun (Shayo) still deeply resonate with the hearts of young people today.
【It might feel difficult at first, but you’ll be fine!】
Dazai Osamu’s prose is actually very conversational and easy to read. Don’t overthink it—to start, just look for parts where you think, "Oh, I might actually understand that feeling," and you’re good to go!
Summary: Key Points of This Chapter
Let’s organize the flow of literature from the modern era onward!
1. Early Meiji: The Genbun-Itchi movement (Futabatei Shimei) created the written language we use today!
2. Mid-Meiji: The emergence of Ogai (Romanticism) and Soseki (the Yoyu-ha school/psychological description).
3. Late Meiji: The ultra-realistic Naturalism (Shimazaki Toson).
4. Taisho Era: The bright Shirakaba School (Shiga Naoya) and the intellectual Akutagawa Ryunosuke.
5. Showa (Post-War): Dazai Osamu, who depicted the wavering heart.
【Finally】
Studying literature is about re-experiencing "someone else’s life" that you couldn't experience on your own. If you can find just one book from the textbook that makes you think, "Hey, this is actually kind of interesting," then you’ve already achieved a perfect score!