<論文>〈言祝ぎ〉の物語 --村上春樹「タクシーに乗った男」論--

Abstract

In 1968, a woman encountered the painting “The Man in the Taxi” in New York. She was fascinated by the “man” trapped in a “cage” called a “taxi” and bought the painting. However, her dream of becoming an artist was dashed, so she burned the painting and returned to Japan. Ten years later, she took a shared “taxi” in Greece, when she was on a business trip for her gallery, and found that the “man” sharing the “taxi” with her was the “Man in the Taxi.” As they parted ways, he said the following positive words: “Have a nice trip (Καλό ταζίδι.)” Previously, the “Taxi” was a cage in which he (and she) was confined. However, the entire meaning was changed by his words. His words were indeed a “celebration” of her later life.