A Certain Woman

A full-length novel by Arishima Takeo. It is divided into two volumes. The first draft of the first part, "A Certain Woman's Glimpse," was serialized intermittently in "Shirakaba" from January 1911 (Meiji 44) to March 1913 (Taisho 2). It was later renamed and thoroughly revised, and published by Sobunkaku in March 1919 as the 8th volume of "Arishima Takeo's Collected Works." The second part was then written and included in the 9th volume published in June of the same year. The protagonist, Satsuki Yoko, is modeled after Kunikida Doppo's ex-wife, Sasaki Nobuko, and the author explores the "possibilities of life" (advertising copy). Having previously failed in her love marriage to Kibe Kokyo, Yoko heads to her fiance, who is in the United States, chosen by those around her. On the ship, Yoko is attracted to the passion of the wild secretary Kurachi and, instinctively, gives herself over to him. When Yoko returns to Japan without landing in America, she is publicly criticized and their life becomes isolated from society. The world of love they lived there does not last, however, as Kurachi begins to spy and Yoko's health deteriorates and the story falls apart. Alone in her hospital room, Yoko struggles with the shadow of death and ultimately ends her life with a heartbreaking cry. This work depicts in a tragic way the figure of a person who becomes isolated because he lives according to his inner impulses, yet who still tries to live on without stopping, and the first part also shows a clear awareness of social issues, leading to its being described as "the greatest work of Japanese realist literature" (Honda Shugo).

[Yamada Shunji]

"A Certain Woman" (Iwanami Bunko, Obunsha Bunko, Kadokawa Bunko, Shincho Bunko) ▽ "A Theory of Arishima Takeo by Nishigaki Tsutomu" (1971, Yuseido)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

有島武郎(たけお)の長編小説。前後編2冊。前編の初稿『或る女のグリンプス』は、1911年（明治44）1月から1913年（大正2）3月まで『白樺(しらかば)』に断続的に連載。のちに改題して、徹底的な改稿がなされ、1919年3月『有島武郎著作集』第8集として叢文閣(そうぶんかく)より刊行。続いて後編が書き下ろされ、同年6月刊行の第9集に収める。国木田独歩の前妻佐々城信子(ささきのぶこ)をモデルに、主人公早月(さつき)葉子を仮構して作者の「人生の可能」（広告文）を追求した作品。かつて木部孤笻(きべこきょう)との恋愛結婚に失敗した葉子は、周囲の者が決めた在米中の許嫁(いいなずけ)のもとに向かう。その船中で、野性的な事務長倉地の情熱にひかれ、本能の赴くままに彼に身を任せてしまった。アメリカに上陸せずに帰国した彼女は、世間的な指弾を受け、彼らの生活は社会から隔絶したものとなる。そこに営まれた情愛の世界も、しかし永続せず、倉地がスパイ行為を働くようになり、葉子も健康を害して、崩壊してしまう。1人病室のなかで、葉子は死の影と戦い、ついには悲痛な叫びを残して、その生を閉じる。内部の衝動のままに生きたがゆえに孤立し、それでも止(や)むことなく生きようとした人間の姿が悲劇的に描かれ、また前編に顕著な対社会的な問題意識もみられ、「日本のリアリズム文学の最高作品」（本多秋五）と評される作品である。

［山田俊治］

『『或る女』（岩波文庫・旺文社文庫・角川文庫・新潮文庫）』▽『西垣勤著『有島武郎論』（1971・有精堂）』

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例