安部公房「プルートーのわな」の素材

Abstract

安部公房の, とりわけ初期作品においては, 小説・詩を問わず, 神話や童話が素材として採用されていることが確認できるが, 本稿で取り上げる「プルートーのわな」(安部真知挿絵, 昭和二十七年六月『現在』創刊号)もまた, 神話や童話の影響が見られる作品である. 本稿は, 「プルートーのわな」の成立に関わった素材および, 発表当時の安部の思想状況を明らかにするものである. 第一に, ギリシア神話の一つに, 「オルフオイス」が自らの歌で人魚「セイレーン」の歌声を克服したという英雄謹があるが, 本作で「山ねこ」に仮託される人魚は歌わない存在として設定されている. この背景には, 花田清輝訳『カフカ小品集』所収「人魚の沈黙」が関わっていることが明らかになった. 本作執筆当時の安部は, 花田の思想図内におりまた, カフカ文学から現実認識の描き方を学んだと推測される. 第二に, ギリシア神話を下敷きとしたもう一つの挿話である, 「オイリデイケ」を探しに行く「オルフオイス」の話の改変にもこれらの影響が見られ, それと同時にスターリン理解に基づいた経験主義者批判が表れていると考えられる. さらに, イソップ童話の一つ, 猫の首に「誰が鈴をつけに行くか？」という話の摂取には, 「イソップ」を「ドレイたちの俗語」と捉えている安部の認識が関わってくると考えられる. 本作発表当時, 安部は共産党文学者として工場労働者たちの文学サークル活動を支援する立場にあった. 安部は民族独立・平和の道を文学に見出し, その考えの一端を本作に託そうとしたと結論づけた.

Whether they be novels or poems, it is observed that the early works of Abe Kobo were mainly based on myths and fairy tales. One of his works discussed in this paper, "Pluto-no-Wana (The Trap of Pluto)" also demonstrates influences from myths and fairy tales. This paper aims to explore the materials used related to the composition of "Pluto-no-Wana", as well as Abe's ideas of during its initial publication. Firstly, in Greek mythology, there is the heroic story of Orpheus overcoming the Song of the Sirens (mermaids) by singing his own song. In contrast, the mermaid in "Pluto-no-Wana" does not sing. This is clearly influenced by the "Ningyo-no-Chinmoku (Silence of the Mermaids)" in the "Kafka Short Story Collection" (translated by Hanada Kiyoteru). lt can be deduced that while penning "Pluto-no-Wana", Abe was influenced by the thoughts of Hanada, and had learnt how to portray appreciation of the realistic through his study of Kafka's works. Secondly, influences from another underlying set piece of Greek mythology, which depicts Orpheus in search of Eurydike, can also be seen here. At the same time, Abe also criticizes the empiricists through his work, based on his understanding of Stalin. Thirdly, we can also observe the adoption of a story in Aesop's Fables "Belling the Cat" into Abe's works, expressing his interpretation of "Aesop" as "slang for slaves". At the time of the publication of "Pluto-no-Wana", Abe was said to have helped support the literature circle activities of factory workers as a Marxist scholar. He paved the way to national independence and peace through literature and this paper concludes that a part of those ideals were presented in his work "Pluto-noWana".