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Warawareta ko
大正〜昭和初期の小説家で、新感覚派の旗手として知られる横光利一の短篇小説。初出は「塔」［1922（大正11）年］。吉は口が耳まで裂けた大きな顔に笑われる夢をみた。翌日から仮面製作に没頭する。学校を卒業しても職は決まらなかったが、父親が吉の作った仮面を発見した夜、吉を村の下駄屋にすることを決めた。吉は下駄屋になり仮面は店の鴨居の上で絶えず笑っていた。二五年間仮面の下で貧乏をした吉はある日仮面を仰いでみた。仮面がにやりと笑ったので腹を立て仮面を鉈で二つに割った。吉はそれで立派な下駄が出来そうな気がしてくる。
9 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 12, 2012
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
November 21, 2024
When I read Yokomitsu Riichi's The Laughed Child, I was reminded of a character. It was my uncle who, as a child, was told so much about his future, and eventually chose to live up to the expectations of others. He didn't regret his decision, but he did feel somewhat unsatisfied and unfulfilled.
The protagonist, Kichi, also has his life decided by those around him. The mask he created leads him to become a clog maker. The mask somehow makes Kichi feel like he is being looked at and ridiculed. This may be a sign of his own impotence and impatience at not being able to live up to the expectations of others.
The appeal of this work lies in its short but deeply haunting lingering effect. At first glance, Kichi's life may seem ordinary and boring. However, it is in this ordinary life that universal human worries and conflicts are depicted.
Reading this story made me think about my own life choices. I sympathized with the idea that a casual trigger can bring about a big change. The image of Kichi becoming a clog craftsman after the creation of the mask seemed like something that could happen in my own life.
At the end of the story, the scene where Kichi breaks the mask seemed to symbolize his confrontation with his own inner self. I hoped that Kichi, who had spent the previous 25 years living in poverty under the mask but was satisfied with his work as a clog craftsman, would finally break the mask and release something. However, there was no significant change after that, and a hollow ending awaited. Perhaps this ending portrays a more realistic picture of life.
The protagonist, Kichi, also has his life decided by those around him. The mask he created leads him to become a clog maker. The mask somehow makes Kichi feel like he is being looked at and ridiculed. This may be a sign of his own impotence and impatience at not being able to live up to the expectations of others.
The appeal of this work lies in its short but deeply haunting lingering effect. At first glance, Kichi's life may seem ordinary and boring. However, it is in this ordinary life that universal human worries and conflicts are depicted.
Reading this story made me think about my own life choices. I sympathized with the idea that a casual trigger can bring about a big change. The image of Kichi becoming a clog craftsman after the creation of the mask seemed like something that could happen in my own life.
At the end of the story, the scene where Kichi breaks the mask seemed to symbolize his confrontation with his own inner self. I hoped that Kichi, who had spent the previous 25 years living in poverty under the mask but was satisfied with his work as a clog craftsman, would finally break the mask and release something. However, there was no significant change after that, and a hollow ending awaited. Perhaps this ending portrays a more realistic picture of life.
Displaying 1 of 1 review