On the Rewriting of The Character Image of Akutagawa Ryunosuke's "Du Zichun" and The Reasons

Abstract

Akutagawa Ryunosuke's classic short story "Du Zichun" is based on the classical Chinese Tang legend "The Legend of Du Zichun", and is also a children's literature work. Akutagawa rewrote the image of the protagonist Du Zichun and the immortal incarnate in the original text, which is significantly different from the original work.The rewritten Du Zichun has independent ideas, and the immortal incarnate becomes an enlightener, abandoning the Taoist ideas in the original work. This article explores and analyzes the reasons for the rewriting, including Akutagawa's concern for children's enlightenment and education, his call for maternal love, and his deep interest in classical Chinese literature.