Session 23—Tu, Apr 10: 昭和（戦後）：安部公房、あべこうぼう (1924-1993) (1 of 2)

Topics for this session

❖ 1955「S・カルマ氏の犯罪」 Sかるましのはんざい (in Eng. trans.)
❖1955「棒」 ぼう

Thoughts*

There are various reworkings of 「棒」. It was first published in 1955, in 『群像』、ぐんぞう as 「棒」; it was rewritten as a play titled 「棒」 in 1957; it was then conjoined with two other short plays into a three act play titled 「棒になった男」 in 1969, and restaged in 1976 with Abe directing his own theater group.

The matter-of-fact voice in this narrative serves well as a foil for the incredible content that is wedded with intellectual rumination. Abe, in terms of "sound" is probably most interested in avoiding literary embellishment that can come from rhythm and sound rather than attract attention to it. But I would add to this that he wrote and directed for theater as well, so no doubt how his words will sound and project on stage is part of his approach. Also, even though sound structure might not be that prominent, I find myself, when remembering this story, recalling two moments and both have very much to do with sound: the sound the man-to-be-stick makes when he falls (and hits) and the drone of the students and professor as they turn over various observations.

Required—to be completed for today's session

✓ First paragraphs comparisons are due at the beginning of class.
✓ Memorized passage checked during this session.
✓ Read 「棒」 up to the paragraph that ends just before the paragraph that begins すると. This is about 1/2 of the total text; it can be found a little past the middle of page 168, in the top half.
✓ Read in English translation "Crime of S. Karma".
✓ Read "Lit and Politics" in the support folder on bSpace.