英文摘要 |
Sato Haruo's Melancholy of the Countryside('Denen no Yuutsu') tells the story of a youngcouple moving from a bustling city to a quiet countryside. The author's detailed descriptions of the countryside scenery and the garden flora reflect the changes going on inside the protagonist's heart: unknowingly to him, the wilderness, the people, everything that he used to look forward to have lost their charm and become the root of all his problems. On the other hand, a related work Melancholy of the City('Tokai no Yuutsu') is written from a completely different perspective: there are very fewdescriptions of natural scenery; instead, the protagonist's monologue constitutes the main portion of the novel. As time changes, the meaning of 'nature' is no longer confined to mountains, rivers, plants, and the like. According to Ookubo Takaki's definition of 'nature,'other than natural elements, 'abstract' or 'conceptual' notions, such as physical attractions or even feelings for others could be defined as 'nature.' In Melancholy of the Countryside('Denen no Yuutsu'), why did the protagonist, havingmoved from the hustle and bustle of the city to the tranquil countryside, become depressed again? Through examining the people that the protagonist comes into contact with in the novel, and with references to the mind of the protagonist in Melancholy of the City('Tokai no Yuutsu'), this paper aims to analyze 'his' psychological state, clarify the meaning of 'nature,'and define the relationship between humanity and 'nature.' |