This study examines the short story Kōryōmu (1917) by Akutagawa Ryūnosuke (1892-1927), a famous writer in Taishō-period Japan. Previous studies on Kōryōmu are scarce and for the most part has focused on situating the work within the early Akutagawa canon. Although previous scholars have identified in Kōryōmu the theme of living proactively, they have neither addressed the factors which may have affected the writer himself, nor made a detailed comparison between Kōryōmu and The World Inside a Pillow, a Chinese classic upon which the short story is based.

This paper is a systematic study of Akutagawa's Kōryōmu. First, in order to contextualize Kōryōmu, I attempt to summarize the literary works based on The World Inside a Pillow in both Chinese and Japanese literature. Next, I compare Kōryōmu with The World Inside a Pillow in detail and attempt to discern how Akutagawa reinterpreted classical literature in Kōryōmu. Finally, I seek to determine what made Akutagawa's adaptation of the classics possible.

The World Inside a Pillow had a deep influence on the literature that came after (especially pre-twentieth-century literature). Although there are many literary works based on The World Inside a Pillow, only Akutagawa's Kōryōmu can be considered a modern novel. This gives Kōryōmu an important standing in literary history. Akutagawa, skilled at rewriting the classics, omitted the historical elements found in The World Inside a Pillow and gave Kōryōmu a new, modern ending. Akutagawa reworked the theme, as well. The protagonist Rosei tells us that life is not an empty dream and conveys the worth of living life to the fullest while maintaining an awareness of death. Considering the relationship between Rosei and Ro-ō, I found that Kōryōmu is related to Shuchū (1916), another Akutagawa's works. Examining Akutagawa's life leading up to 1917, I discovered three important events that may have contributed to Kōryōmu: first, Akutagawa graduated from student to member of society; second, Rashōmon, his first collection of short stories had been published that year, meaning that he was admitted to the literary world; lastly, he was engaged to be married the previous year.

Although Kōryōmu is quite short, it nonetheless manages to convey a genuine way to live in its protagonist Rosei, a new breed of hero. In 1927, it was translated into Chinese due of its uplifting theme. I argue that, due to Akutagawa's creativity, Kōryōmu surpassed the classic upon which it was based and became a work full of significance for modern times.

This paper examines Kaneko Mitsuharu's IL (May 1965) in relation to his earlier work. In previous studies, researchers have pointed out that the depiction of Jesus Christ in IL is similar to that in A Tragedy of Men (『人間の悲劇』Ningen no higeki, December 1952). Past researchers have asserted that both depictions seem to echo the imagery of Kaneko's earlier poem, "Shark" (「鮫」"Same," October 1937). However, the researchers have relied heavily on imagery, and thus their arguments are less concrete and persuasive. This paper uses deconstruction theory to clarify the role of Jesus in "IL" (「IL」"Il," May 1965) and compare "IL" with Kaneko's earlier works of the Taishō era.

The first chapter uses deconstruction theory to analyze the depiction of Jesus Christ in "IL." American literary critic Barbara Johnson argued that the function of the prose poem lies in deconstructing the verse poem through thematic repetition. By applying deconstruction theory to "IL", this analysis finds that "IL" echoes the poems in A Tragedy of Man in its use of stigmata (ふるきづのあと furukizu no ato) and red nail polish (爪化粧の紅 tsume keshō no beni). These elements represent the hopelessness of the human condition and sin. This chapter argues that stigmata also implies a compassionate gaze toward vulnerable groups in society. In summary, IL takes humanity as its theme, simultaneously depicting human despair and showing compassion toward society's vulnerable.

The second chapter illustrates the thematic similarity between IL and Kaneko's first poetry collection, House on Earth (『赤土の家』Akatsuchi no ie). House on Earth displays the influence of the so-called "democratic poets" of the Taishō era. Democratic poets, such as Shiratori Shōgo (1890-1973) and Momota Sōji (1893-1955), were eager to demonstrate their freedom from old customs and adumbrate a new ideal way of life. Comparing their work with Kaneko's reveals the unique feature of the latter's poetry: his bird's-eye perspective of humanity. This feature shows that the roots of the compassionate gaze can be seen in the beginning of Kanko's work. Although IL and House on Earth take humanity as their theme, IL lacks the bird's-eye view of House on Earth.

Approximately half a century passed between House on Earth and IL, during which Kaneko's writing style surely evolved. A personal essay that Kaneko wrote in his later years suggests that his writing style changed during a trip to Southeast Asia and Europe from 1928 to 1933. One of the difficulties of this trip was that Kaneko had to earn money along the way. Thus, Kaneko worked not only as a poet, but also as an artist and journalist. Kaneko wrote articles and drew sketches depicting the life of the people wherever he traveled, which no doubt contributed to the evolution of his writing style. Identifying the compassionate gaze in Kaneko's work during this transitional period is a task for the future.