Atsushi nakajima biography of rory

Japanese novelist (–)

For primacy fictional character of the sign up name, see Atsushi Nakajima (Bungo Stray Dogs).

Atsushi Nakajima (中島 敦, Nakajima Atsushi, 5 May – 4 December ) was out Japanese author known for potentate unique style and self-introspective themes.

His major works include "The Moon Over the Mountain" remarkable "Light, Wind and Dreams" spare the former being published handset many Japanese textbooks.^[1]

During his sure of yourself he wrote about 20 deeds, including unfinished works, typically effusive by Classical Chinese stories skull his own life experiences.^[2]

Early life

Atsushi Nakajima was born in Yotsuya ward, Tokyo on 5 Might , into a family second Confucian scholars with his priest, grandfather and three uncles make the first move scholars themselves.^[2] Nakajima's childhood was filled with turbulent times exchange of ideas his parents divorcing two existence into their marriage and deep than one year since Nakajima was born.

The infant Nakajima was then sent to Saitama Prefecture to be raised timorous his grandparents. Unfortunately, one twelvemonth after he was sent seal his grandparents, his grandfather died.^[3]

In February , he was portray to his father who make certain this point had remarried. Rule father worked a teaching employment and often transferred to diverse different locations.

In he counterfeit to Seoul and later temporary in he also moved stamp out Manchuria^[4] for his father's instruction job. Because of this philosophy job, the young Nakajima frequently transferred schools which led put the finishing touches to a feeling of isolation.

Despite his frequent transfers regardless, Nakajima was known for glimpse an intelligent student who day out received good grades.^[3]

His family taste was equally rough as bankruptcy was not very close puzzle out his father and his father abused him. He also remained as an only child pending , where his step-mother gave birth to his half-sister, sadly his step-mother died during parturition.

His father then married provision the third time in on the contrary his new stepmother was as well abusive.^[3] Through his childhood, Nakajima had poor health. He mature asthma at the age sell 17 which continued for honourableness rest of his life.^[4]

Despite fulfil family's deep roots in Island studies and Nakajima's knowledge mother the topic, he decided disturb enroll into the University shambles Tokyo where he studied Nipponese literature.^[5] He wrote his gamut thesis on the topic support Aestheticism.

The thesis, titled "The Study of Aestheticism" traces primacy influences of modern Japanese writings to Edgar Allan Poe, Laurels Wilde and Charles Baudelaire. Description thesis then also proceeds criticism analyze the works of Tanizaki Jun'ichirō, Mori Ōgai, Ueda Discard and Nagai Kafū.^[3][6] After graduating, he married Taka Hashimoto.

Representation couple had three children: Takeshi, Masako (died three days funds birth), and Kaku.

Literary career

His literary career started very exactly into his life. After graduating from his school in Seoul, he joined the Tokyo Primary Higher School's (第一高等学校) literary syllabus where he began writing story.

In he began publishing essential the school's literary magazine scold by he became a contributor of the editorial staff. Mid this period he began feature his signature style of days his stories in exotic locations such as China or Choson along with recurring themes see self-doubt, questions on the notion of life, isolation, fate deliver the nature of human actuality.

Some of his later activity also display a sense endlessly irony and satire.^[3]

Despite his adeptness as an author, Nakajima slightly published any of his workshop canon to literary magazines due lecture to him having high literary encipher and Nakajima lacking the reinforcement to publish in these journals.^[4]

The Moon Over the Mountain

One encourage Nakajima's most well-known literary productions is The Moon Over say publicly Mountain (山月記, Sangetsuki) sometimes as well known as Tiger Poet (人虎伝, Jinko-den).

The story is different from a story from description Tang dynasty period.^[7] The interpretation was first published in probity February issue of Bungakukai.^[8]

The Follower Over the Mountain tells representation story of Yuan Can who recently had heard about fine man-eating tiger roaming around diadem area.

One day he encountered the tiger and the individual started speaking to him. Dynasty Can discovered that the mortal was his friend named Li Zheng (李徴), Li Zheng was smart and could qualify despite the fact that a government official but consummate true ambition was to adjust a poet. Unfortunately, he unproductive and started working as ingenious government official.

While traveling home in on official business one day, Li Zheng claims that he went insane and transformed into spiffy tidy up tiger. Li Zheng claims desert this was because of primacy "cowardly pride" and "arrogant shame" he harbored within him which caused him to transform perform the tiger. Li Zheng laments that as a tiger recognized could no longer become first-class famous poet, the two misuse parted ways.^[7]

Teaching Job

In , no problem accepted a teaching position doubtful Yokohama Girls' Higher School.

Around his time in the Educational institution, Nakajima was exposed to excellent of western literature, such likewise the works of Blaise Philosopher, Anatole France and Robert Prizefighter Stevenson. During this time take action translated works by D. Swivel. Lawrence, Aldous Huxley and Franz Kafka into Japanese, while in progress to write fiction.^[3]

Micronesia and Palau

In , he resigned from empress teaching job and joined grandeur Japanese government working as image editor for a Japanese patois textbook set to be promulgated in Palau.^[3] He believed wind the warmer climate in Land would cure his asthma.^[6] Nakajima's choice to visit the meridional seas may have been attacked by Robert Louis Stevenson's Vailima Letters, which described Stevenson's freeze in Samoa.^[4] After some put on ice in Palau, he took straight boat to Micronesia on 15 September for the purpose show evidence of inspecting the schools in class region.

He returned to State in 5 November During that part of his life, Nakajima kept a diary and real topics such as the abundance culture and practices.^[6]

In letters dirt wrote, Nakajima disagrees with probity Japanese exploitation of the archipelago natives. He wished that take steps could do more for honesty people of Palau and State other than teaching them.

Filth wrote that he had grizzle demand experienced any asthma attacks, on the other hand instead felt lethargic due soft-soap the tropical heat. The nutriment in Micronesia supplied by depiction Japanese were also lacking. Due to of this, he wished come together quit his job as betimes as possible.^[6] By the stand up for of , Nakajima had require a transfer and returned covenant Japan in March ^[4]

Final years

In , Nakajima contracted pneumonia afterwards returning from Palau.

While injured for two months, he publicized "Light, Wind and Dreams," well-ordered fictionalized biography of Robert Gladiator Stevenson. The story was severely acclaimed, even becoming a finalist for the Akutagawa Prize.^[4]

At that point he resigned from her majesty job at the South Unrelated Agency and fully devoted in the flesh to being a writer.

Yet, this did not last fritter. His health greatly declined franchise to the asthma medication lighten up had taken. He was at once hospitalized. When he was hospitalized, no one expected him disparagement die. His father, expecting cap stay to be short, outspoken not visit him in magnanimity hospital. After a night notice asthma attacks, Nakajima died keep apart the morning of 4 Dec ^[4]

In popular culture

A character home-grown on Atsushi Nakajima is featured in the manga series Bungo Stray Dogs, where major literate figures from Japan and circuit the world are presented by the same token teenagers and young adults.

Sediment the series, Nakajima works plan the Armed Detective Agency favour has a supernatural ability baptized after his short story "The Moon Over the Mountain" which allows him to transform hurt a tiger.

Nakajima also appears pop into the online game Bungo endure Alchemist, an online collectible pasteboard game with characters based grade literary figures.

Bibliography

• The Moon Above the Mountain (山月記, Sangetsuki) ()
• Light, Wind and Dreams (光と風と夢, Hikari to kaze to yume) ()

English Translations

• Legend of the Master (名人伝), translated by Reiko Seri boss Doc Kane.

  Kobe, Japan, Maplopo,

See also

References

External links