A Study Of The Archetypes In Osamu Dazai’s Literature

This paper examines the representative works of the renowned Japanese modern writer Osamu Dazai from different periods.Using Jung’s archetype theory,psychoanalysis,narratology,stylistics,and other relevant theories,it thoroughly analyzes the internal structure,forms of expression,and associations with the external world in Dazai’s works.The study comprehensively explores the interpersonal relationships,mother archetype,father archetype,and inner child archetype in Dazai’s literature from three perspectives: internal to the text,expression within the text,and external to the text.The analysis reveals the intergenerational transmission of the mother archetype,the inexpressibility of the father archetype,and the confusion of selfawareness in the inner child archetype.It delves into Dazai’s negative and transcendent portrayals of the mother archetype,intertwining the concepts of family and nation,and expounds on the symbolic significance of interpersonal relationships in his literature.The paper highlights that the vitality of Dazai’s work lies in its archetypal qualities,which resonate with people’s primal experiences and the collective unconscious of the Japanese,thus serving as a spokesperson for the inner spirit of the Japanese people and providing an opportunity to awaken their inner selves.Chapter One discusses the intergenerational transmission of the maternal archetype,the ineffable paternal archetype,and the internally confused child archetype in Dazai Osamu’s literature through analysis of three early representative works.It clarifies the mixed self-awareness exhibited by these three archetypes,revealing the "Self/Non-self" structural characteristic of Dazai Osamu’s literature.Chapter Two explores Dazai Osamu’s "negative" writing characteristics concerning the maternal archetype through criticisms of "embracing false harmony," "idealizing fatherhood," and "dependence on males," as manifested in mid-term female monologue representative works.Chapter Three reveals Dazai Osamu’s "transcendent" writing characteristics regarding the maternal archetype through discussions of gender equality consciousness,women’s liberation consciousness,and moral revolutionary consciousness in female monologue works from the mid to late periods.Chapters Two and Three delve into the characteristics of Dazai Osamu’s writing on the maternal archetype through female monologues,clarifying his self-exploration through both negative and transcendent writings concerning the maternal archetype.The female monologue in Dazai Osamu’s literature serves as a new narrative form created amidst the ineffable paternal archetype,with characters embodying his inner self and reflecting the "non-separation" characteristic of his literature.Behind the female monologue works lies Dazai Osamu’s reconstruction of the male self with a female mask,aiming to heal himself through narrative therapy and fully demonstrating the compensatory nature of the female monologue for Dazai Osamu.Chapter Four highlights the inherent consistency between self-exploration in Dazai Osamu’s later representative works and his personal experiences,literary structures,and stylistic features.It clarifies he "non-separation" characteristic of Dazai Osamu’s literary creation,emphasizing the internal consistency between his selfexploration and that of modern Japanese individuals.Building upon the previous four chapters,it indicates that Dazai Osamu’s literature to some extent embodies the spiritual trauma of modern Japanese people.In the conclusion,the five major characteristics of Dazai Osamu’s literature are clearly defined,further elucidating its spiritual-historical characteristics based on the "Self/Non-self" structure,transcendent writing on the maternal archetype,compensatory nature of female monologues,and "non-separation" characteristics established in the preceding chapters.