Pathway to Japanese Literature
Discover Japan's stories—across time, across language.
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PrejudicesAuthor: Akutagawa Ryūnosuke
| Original Title | 僻見 |
|---|---|
| Author | 芥川 竜之介 |
| Genre | Modern Short Fiction |
| Author Type | Male Author |
| Summary | The essays weave introspective reflections with vivid portraits of figures who shaped the author’s artistic awakening. A revered poet becomes both muse and mirror, transforming ordinary moments—tadpoles in ponds, rustling plains—into gateways to lyrical revelation, while a mythic hero embodies defiant vitality, smashing prisons and slaying demons in acts that blur rebellion and transcendence. Through these encounters, the author dissects art’s paradoxes: imitation as homage versus originality’s spark, Western influences clashing with Eastern traditions, and the quiet dignity of a collector whose curated life contrasts the poet’s fervor. Philosophical threads intertwine with personal bias—confessions of vanity, struggles with detachment—as landscapes and legends morph into metaphors for creativity’s restless dance. Each essay pulses with unresolved tension between admiration and critique, inviting readers to question where artistry ends and selfhood begins. The narrative lingers like an unfinished brushstroke, hinting at deeper truths beneath its fragmented glimpses of inspiration’s cost and legacy’s fragile beauty. |
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