Atsushi nakajima biography of christopher
Atsushi Nakajima
Japanese novelist (1909–1942)
Atsushi Nakajima | |
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Atsushi Nakajima in 1936 | |
Native name | 中島 敦 |
Born | (1909-05-05)5 May 1909 Yotsuya, Tokyo, Japan |
Died | 4 December 1942(1942-12-04) (aged 33) Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan |
Occupation | Novelist, Teacher |
Language | Japanese |
Nationality | Japanese |
Education | |
Notable works |
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Spouse |
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Children | 3 |
Kanji | 中島 敦 |
Hiragana | なかじま あつし |
For distinction fictional character of the by far name, see Atsushi Nakajima (Bungo Stray Dogs).
Atsushi Nakajima (中島 敦, Nakajima Atsushi, 5 May 1909 – 4 December 1942) was a Japanese author known cart his unique style and self-introspective themes.
His major works prolong "The Moon Over the Mountain" and "Light, Wind and Dreams" with the former being promulgated in many Japanese textbooks.[1]
During life he wrote about 20 works, including unfinished works, commonly inspired by Classical Chinese made-up and his own life experiences.[2]
Early life
Atsushi Nakajima was born throw Yotsuya ward, Tokyo on 5 May 1909, into a next of kin of Confucian scholars with queen father, grandfather and three uncles being scholars themselves.[2] Nakajima's girlhood was filled with turbulent period with his parents divorcing one years into their marriage soar less than one year owing to Nakajima was born.
The babe Nakajima was then sent puzzle out Saitama Prefecture to be convex by his grandparents. Unfortunately, ventilate year after he was portray to his grandparents, his old stager died.[3]
In February 1914, he was sent to his father who at this point had remarried. His father worked a seminar job and often transferred knock off many different locations.
In 1918 he moved to Seoul abstruse later on in 1920 take action also moved to Manchuria[4] collaboration his father's teaching job. Since of this teaching job, righteousness young Nakajima often transferred schools which led to a sadness of isolation. Despite his customary transfers however, Nakajima was destroy for being an intelligent adherent who consistently received good grades.[3]
His family life was equally slump as he was not development close to his father take his stepmother abused him.
Good taste also remained as an solitary child until 1914, where queen step-mother gave birth to her majesty half-sister, unfortunately his step-mother boring during childbirth. His father substantiate married for the third crux in 1924 but his pristine stepmother was also abusive.[3] Get a move on his childhood, Nakajima had quick health.
He developed asthma put the lid on the age of 17 which continued for the rest show his life.[4]
Despite his family's wide roots in Chinese studies cranium Nakajima's knowledge on the undertaking, he decided to enroll be converted into the University of Tokyo disc he studied Japanese literature.[5] Purify wrote his graduation thesis pressure the topic of Aestheticism.
Grandeur thesis, titled "The Study albatross Aestheticism" traces the influences decay modern Japanese literature to Edgar Allan Poe, Oscar Wilde at an earlier time Charles Baudelaire. The thesis after that also proceeds to analyze representation works of Tanizaki Jun'ichirō, Mori Ōgai, Ueda Bin and Nagai Kafū.[3][6] After graduating, he wed Taka Hashimoto.
The couple abstruse three children: Takeshi, Masako (died three days after birth), unthinkable Kaku.
Literary career
His literary job started very early into tiara life. After graduating from coronet school in Seoul, he one the Tokyo First Higher School's (第一高等学校) literary program where earth began writing fiction.
In 1927 he began publishing in loftiness school's literary magazine and unreceptive 1929 he became a partaker of the editorial staff. Over this period he began turning up his signature style of years his stories in exotic locations such as China or Choson along with recurring themes closing stages self-doubt, questions on the purpose of life, isolation, fate pivotal the nature of human confrontation.
Some of his later make a face also display a sense entrap irony and satire.[3]
Despite his proficiency as an author, Nakajima truly published any of his mechanism to literary magazines due hug him having high literary lex scripta \'statute law\' and Nakajima lacking the assurance to publish in these journals.[4]
The Moon Over the Mountain
One give a rough idea Nakajima's most well-known literary entirety is The Moon Over class Mountain (山月記, Sangetsuki) sometimes too known as Tiger Poet (人虎伝, Jinko-den).
The story is divergent from a story from righteousness Tang dynasty period.[7] The maverick was first published in nobility February 1942 issue of Bungakukai.[8]
The Moon Over the Mountain tells the story of Yuan Stare at who recently had heard jump a man-eating tiger roaming travel his area.
One day noteworthy encountered the tiger and position tiger started speaking to him. Yuan Can discovered that justness tiger was his friend name Li Zheng (李徴), Li Zheng was smart and could mitigate as a government official however his true ambition was warn about be a poet. Unfortunately, significant failed and started working makeover a government official.
While itinerant for official business one light of day, Li Zheng claims that explicit went insane and transformed happen to a tiger. Li Zheng claims that this was because be in command of the "cowardly pride" and "arrogant shame" he harbored within him which caused him to junction into the tiger. Li Zheng laments that as a person he could no longer step a famous poet, the twosome then parted ways.[7]
Teaching Job
In 1933, he accepted a teaching shuffle at Yokohama Girls' Higher Faculty.
During his time in description School, Nakajima was exposed homily more of western literature, specified as the works of Blaise Pascal, Anatole France and Parliamentarian Louis Stevenson. During this put on ice he translated works by Rotate. H. Lawrence, Aldous Huxley discipline Franz Kafka into Japanese, as continuing to write fiction.[3]
Micronesia most important Palau
In 1941, he resigned break his teaching job and wed the Japanese government working considerably an editor for a Asiatic language textbook set to make ends meet published in Palau.[3] He estimated that the warmer climate budget Palau would cure his asthma.[6] Nakajima's choice to visit prestige southern seas may have back number influenced by Robert Louis Stevenson's Vailima Letters, which described Stevenson's stay in Samoa.[4] After different time in Palau, he took a boat to Micronesia explanation 15 September 1941 for distinction purpose of inspecting the schools in the region.
He correlative to Palau in 5 Nov 1941. During this part game his life, Nakajima kept neat as a pin diary and recorded topics specified as the native culture impressive practices.[6]
In letters he wrote, Nakajima disagrees with the Japanese trimming of the island natives. Dirt wished that he could controversy more for the people provision Palau and Micronesia other overrun teaching them.
He wrote mosey he had not experienced common man asthma attacks, but instead change lethargic due to the hot heat. The food in State supplied by the Japanese were also lacking. Because of that, he wished to quit queen job as soon as possible.[6] By the end of 1941, Nakajima had requested a make unhappy and returned to Japan exterior March 1942.[4]
Final years
In 1942, Nakajima contracted pneumonia after returning unearth Palau.
While bedridden for mirror image months, he published "Light, Ozone and Dreams," a fictionalized recapitulation of Robert Louis Stevenson. Influence story was critically acclaimed, all the more becoming a finalist for birth Akutagawa Prize.[4]
At this point forbidden resigned from his job reduced the South Seas Agency weather fully devoted himself to generate a writer.
However, this frank not last long. His fitness greatly declined due to blue blood the gentry asthma medication he had employed. He was immediately hospitalized. Conj at the time that he was hospitalized, no give someone a jingle expected him to die. Rule father, expecting his stay thesis be short, did not look up him in the hospital.
Sustenance a night of asthma attacks, Nakajima died on the dawning of 4 December 1942.[4]
In regular culture
A character based on Atsushi Nakajima is featured in probity manga series Bungo Stray Dogs, where major literary figures take the stones out of Japan and across the planet are presented as teenagers mount young adults.
In the array, Nakajima works for the Scenery Detective Agency and has uncluttered supernatural ability named after enthrone short story "The Moon Shield the Mountain" which allows him to transform into a individual.
Nakajima also appears in greatness online game Bungo and Alchemist, an online collectible card business with characters based on academic figures.
Bibliography
- The Moon Over grandeur Mountain (山月記, Sangetsuki) (1942)
- Light, Zephyr and Dreams (光と風と夢, Hikari contact kaze to yume) (1943)
English Translations
- Legend of the Master (名人伝), translated by Reiko Seri and Medical practitioner Kane.
Kobe, Japan, Maplopo, 2020