"heart" Of The Rural Youth

In this thesis, the author points out at first that prior study of Kokoro until now, readers' reading has not been given enough emphasis. There are also some defects in Mr. Fujii Hidetada's Archαeology of Kokoro, which is the only thesis on Kokoro from the aspect of contemporary reader. Starting from the above mentioned two problems and with the method of contemporary study, this thesis develops its discussion centering on "l", the hero of the novel. It is determined that contemporary readers of "Asahi News" at that time were mainly medium or small tradesmen, intellectuals, farmers, lower level labor and soldiers. In view of character setting in the novel, it is found that "I" and "my teacher" and other main characters are born in rural area, especially that the center character "I" is an rural youth. Most of the contemporary readers had the same background as they did. Then the author raises such questions as when Natume Souseki turned his focus to rural area, why did he describe such a rural youth as I. Based on the two questions, the author studies contemporary rural problems in Kokoro. In chapter two, the author conducts study in the problem of contemporary rural youth, complements defects in Mr. Fujii Hidetata's thesis and then further deepens the problem of rural youth in Kokoro. He also follows the reading pattern of contemporary readers to excavate the relationship between the novel and reality. Chapter three focuses on the major problem that rural young people face-whether they will return to their home village or not. First, it is again to pay attention to the text and to point out that the fact that I will leave the home village has been indicated in the text. Then, based on the conclusion, taking a different angle, the author examines the dislocation of the rural population around the time when the book Kokoro is published, and points out that the departing from home village is the trend and common sense of the contemporary young people. Besides, the author analyzes the inner conflict of young men and further points out that the problems of rural young people reflect the conflicts between individuals and the nation in economic development. After all, this paper fills the blank in the studies of the book Kokoro, and, following the reading of contemporary readers, examines the problems of rural young people in this book from the point of view of "I." This attempt probes the possibility of a new interpretation of Kokoro.