Lice by Akutagawa Ryūnosuke (1918)
A group of samurai on a naval expedition face harsh conditions: cramped quarters, bitter cold, and an overwhelming infestation of lice that multiply on their boats. While most of the crew struggles to rid themselves of the pests through a meticulous and almost farcical hunt—using teacups to collect the tiny insects—a peculiar officer, Mori Gonnoshin, advocates an unorthodox view. Unlike his comrades, he accepts the lice, arguing that their bites induce an itch that, when scratched, produces a warming, fever-like effect. This warmth, he claims, prevents the onset of cold and illness, making the lice inadvertently beneficial. Mori’s theory, presented as a rational remedy against the winter chill, sparks a divided response among the men. A faction, intrigued by the possibility of turning an adverse condition into a protective measure, begins to keep the lice close on their bodies. In contrast, another group, led by a captain who even consumes the lice as a symbolic act of rejecting what they see as a betrayal of one’s filial duty to care properly for the body, opposes Mori’s unconventional practice. Their dispute, initially a matter of theory and philosophy, rapidly escalates into heated debates and near-physical confrontations. The absurdity of their quarrel over lice serves as a broader commentary on human behavior. In the midst of an arduous military campaign where discipline and unity would be expected, the samurai become embroiled in trivial conflicts rooted in superstition and personal idiosyncrasies. Their debate highlights the irrationality inherent in clinging to peculiar ideas under duress, showing how even a matter as insignificant as lice can become a source of strife when layered with pride and personal conviction. Even as the crew becomes entangled in this petty ideological conflict, their vessel presses onward toward its objective, symbolizing the indifferent march of duty and fate despite the internal absurdities and human follies at play.
By Akutagawa Ryūnosuke · First published 1918 · Genre: Historical Satire, Historical Fiction, Absurdist Fiction · 2,388 words
First lines
On the twenty-sixth day of the eleventh month of the first year of Genji (Dec. 25, 1864), the followers of the daimyō of Kaga, who had been engaged in the safeguarding of Kyoto, put to sea under the leadership of Chō Osumi-no-kami, from the mouth of the Ajikawa in Osaka, to take part in the impending chastisement of Chōshū.
There were two sub-commanders, Tsukuda Kyudayu and Yamagishi Sanjurō, and white standards were set up in Tsukuda's boats and red in Yamagishi's. History records that it was a most brave scene as their Kompira vessels, each of 500 koku burden, left the estuary for the deep, all with their red and white banners flapping in the wind.
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Lice is listed on Textopian as a short story by Akutagawa Ryūnosuke, dated 1918 CE.
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- Work type: Short story
- Author: Akutagawa Ryūnosuke
- Date: 1918 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Historical Satire, Historical Fiction, Absurdist Fiction, Comedy
- Length: 2,388 words
- Structure: 1 section, 42 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
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- Work identity for Lice by Akutagawa Ryūnosuke
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Genres
- Historical Satire — The work uses a historical setting and military context to satirize social customs and the absurdities of human behavior.
- Historical Fiction — The narrative is firmly rooted in a specific period of Japanese history with detailed references to historical events and conditions.
- Absurdist Fiction — The exaggerated focus on lice and the surreal reactions of the characters introduce elements of absurdity and unconventional logic.
- Comedy — The humorous depiction of samurai and their bizarre lice-related disputes provides a distinctly comedic tone.
Tags
Japanese literature · short story · modernism · psychological · absurdity · existential · symbolism · social criticism · human nature · dark humor · irony · minimalism