A Tentative Study On Kitamura T(?)koku's Literary Concept

As a renowned literary critic,poet,and a role in the Freedom and People's Rights Movement in late Meiji period Japan,Kitamura Tōkoku is regarded as the first monument in the history of Japanese modern literature for his original proposal of shaping the internal life of literature and assertion of a thorough emancipation of the mind with liberalism,which are effectively promoted the development of modern Japanese literature.Therefore,research on Kitamura Tōkoku not only helps us a comprehensive understanding of Japan's Meiji period literary development and the whole development process of modern Japanese literature but also a better understanding of discussion on the Japanese literary trends' influence on China's modern literature.And at the same time,the research can also serve as a comb and of the role to impact of the Western European literature on the whole of Eastern literature of change and innovation.However,Kitamura Tōkoku study abroad is mainly concentrated in Japan,and it is regrettable that Japan scholars' study is supported by the traditional concept of literary theory or Europe and the United States,so it is with a clear tendency of the nation and the times limitations.Kitamura Tōkoku study and translation of his works in Chinese literary circle is still inadequate and lack of systematic.So far, there are less than 10 research papers delivered,which merely based on case study and parallel method discuss more the theme of his products rather than his literary concept,therefore it is particularly necessary and urgent to explore systematically Kitamura Tōkoku's literary concept.Supported by methods of text analysis,the impression criticism,and Comparative Poetics,this essay aims to a deep exploration of Kitamura Tōkoku's literary concept combined with Kitamura Tōkoku's literary criticism and his literature as a whole,as well as his philosophy.And Tōkoku's literary concept which is primarily reflected by a purely self- in the performance of theory and the non-utilitarian nature of the purpose is of important significance in the history of Japanese literature.The essay includes three chapters.The first chapter focuses on Tōkoku's literary concept.Kitamura Tōkoku opposes popular concept of "leading to goodness,chastising evil" in Kamakura Muromachi period and Edo period,and influenced by literary ideas advocated by Tsubouchi Syōyō's The Essence of Novels and by Futabatei Shimei's General Introduction of Novels that combats against the secularization and socialization of literature,against feudal morality restrictions,as well as pursuit of free self- expression.also Kitamura Tōkoku insists that the fundamental aim and objective of literature pursue beauty,and concept of beauty be the basic criteria of literary criticism.First,the essay analysis on the internal life,representative book of Kitamura Tōkoku's theory,in which the writer insists on life ideology by placing it in contradiction to that of non-life and believe that life and non-life is the religious and ideological differences between the east and the west by comparing life ideology with religious philosophy.And he believe that ethics and life are closely related,life is the root of ethical,religious belief,human nature.At the same time, he is opposed to useful literary theory,and supports the purity of the literature.He was opposed to "literary creation is cause," saying that the cause of God is in a worldly status,however the goddess of literature holy inviolable,which reveals Tōkoku's pursuit of internal life and literary non-utilitarian ideals.Second,through interpretation of the text the "Afterglow","Butterfly's invitation" and "Butterflies' Departure",further abundance of literature is its exposition and demonstration,Kitamura Tōkoku's literary concept is further explained and proofed.Whether specific views on love,life,and freedom of civil rights,all thoroughly infiltrated into Kitamura Tōkoku's literature.It is purely ideal state that Japanese romanticism has been committed to looking for.The state is the writer's true feelings infused into work,freed of the immediate impact of what's in sight and the readers as well as social environment,and detached in the secular imagination.It is the so-called "pure self."The second chapter focuses on the cause that Kitamura Tōkoku's concept forms.Background of the times is closely linked to his ideas.Kitamura's personal growth experience,the impact of Romanticism in the West,as well as his literary practice are external factors,outlook on life and values tinge with Christianity, human life concept rooted in ethical,religious beliefs and moral,concept of harmony in the nature,awareness of the freedom of human rights of civilians form literature internal factors.The third Chapter is on the relationship of Kitamura's literary concept with Japanese Romantic literature.The two share the same in side of affection.His literary practice greatly enriched the Japanese Romantic forms and methods, expanding the horizons of Romantic literature performance,and he affects the later generation.Also he brings to Japanese literature Christian humanitarian and perspective of freedom and equality,undoubtedly open up the themes of Japanese Romantic performance. Kitamura Tōkoku is a prophet,a pioneer of the first to disclose the veil of nature and reveal the inner world,also he is a brave facing social,historical contradictions.His contemporary Toson Shimazaki,once asserted:without understanding Tōkoku's literary concept,people will not be able to understand modern Japanese literature.Kitamura Tōkoku literary concept exerts an great influence on not only Japanese Romantic literature but for the entire modern literature has,and even set Japan's modern literature goes well away from political sphere and even set up a basic style with political hypersensitivity.