A humorous look at human stupidity through a cat's eyes《吾輩は猫である》夏目漱石 Natsume Sōseki

「吾輩は猫である。名前はまだ無い。」

"I'm a cat. I don't have a name."

The whole book begins with this sentence, which directly introduces the reader into the world of cats and reveals all the ignorance of the human world through the eyes of cats.

[2015] "I am a Cat" first edition author: Natsume Sōseki | translator: 劉子倩 | publisher: 大牌出版 | design: 許晉維

"I am a Cat" was serialized in 《杜鵑ホトトギス》magazine since 1905, and its light-hearted and humorous writing style soon gained wide response. The dialogues in the book are like the traditional Japanese narrative art "Haiku", and contain many allusions to Japanese and world culture. Natsume Soseki used parody to weave a piece of classical literature with a broad vision, profound description and full of critical spirit. Even after a hundred years, it is still deeply loved by readers.

Natsume Soseki is the archetypal cat owner of the novel, Chinno Kushami 珍野苦沙彌. The core of the story is Chinno Kushami 珍野苦沙彌 and the people and things around him, observing the funny words and deeds of humans from a cat's perspective. The whole book is humorous and expresses sad emotions implicitly. Through the cat's arrogant complaints about human speech, the film satirizes the vulgarity of Meiji-era intellectuals, the meanness of capitalists, and the absurdity of all living beings who mistakenly believe that they can maintain their individuality in society without realizing that their strong personalities are being destroyed and humiliated.

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＜Excerpt 1＞

"If you ask humans when they are ugliest, I think there is nothing more undignified than sleeping with their mouths open. We cats will never do such a shameful thing in our entire lives."

The male cat raised by Teacher Chinno Kushami 珍野苦沙彌 often refers to himself as "ME". Cats have extremely keen observations of the human world, and we often interpret and reflect on Eastern and Western philosophy and knowledge from a cat's perspective. Cat respects his master, but despises the rules made by humans. He fell in love with a female cat named Sanmaozi 三毛子. Mr. Kushami loves to show off his knowledge. He pretended to know Latin and idioms when he really didn't. He believed that naughty students could be reformed by instilling moral values. The entire book is about Kushami’s shortcomings and embarrassing moments. Through the first-person description of "Cat", Kushami's annoying nature appears interesting and humorous.

＜Excerpt 2＞

"My master is a middle school teacher. As soon as he gets home from school, he goes straight to his study. The whole world thinks he is studying hard, but that is not the case at all... I tiptoed into the study and saw him sleeping with his mouth drooling all over the floor! The profession of teacher seems elegant and noble at first glance, but in fact, there are people with empty heads who sleep all day long."

＜Excerpt 3＞

"For a two-faced person like the owner, he may need to secretly write a diary in a dark room to express his true self, but for us cats, whether walking, sitting, lying, or pooping, it is a real diary, so there is no need to go to such great lengths to preserve the true self. Instead of writing a diary, it is better to sleep on the balcony."

＜Excerpt 4＞

"It is said that bankers help others save money every day, and after a long time, they regard it as their own money. Similarly, officials are just servants and agents of the people, but after a long time, they become self-centered and arrogant, thinking that the people have no say in political affairs. These people's bad habits sprouted from childhood, and it is impossible to correct them through education. I'll tell all the people give up this idea to change the mind."

In addition to his criticism of humans, Natsume Soseki also humorously presents "all aspects of cats" in the book, including funny scenes such as dancing the cat dance with the rice cake monster and catching mice but making a mess, which are all very funny. Cats' daily exercises, such as "catching cicadas", "sliding on the pine", and "walking on the wall", all remind people of the funny behaviors of cats outside the world of novels. Cats' social lives are equally rich and colorful. The bad cat "Heizi" in the coachman's house and "Sanmaozi" in the second-line master's house also enrich the readers' imagination of the cat world.

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Reading is not just for the literary achievement of a work, but also because novels are essentially a path of free exploration.

The reason why writers become writers is because they love to pursue and explore, and gradually walk out of a unique path and show their personal charm. Excellent literary works not only have rich imagination, but also have profound reflections on the real world. Writers invest their emotions into the things around them and transform them into words. Whether it is love, family, friendship, or even emotions with animals, they can all become the source of their creation. Every reader understands the author differently. The personal insights gained from reading are often more profound than thousands of articles. It doesn’t matter whether the author intended to make a certain point. The key is to find your own way of interpreting it so that you can develop a unique perspective.

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About the Author

夏目漱石 Natsume Sōseki

His real name was Natsume Kinnosuke and he was born in Tokyo in 1867. In 1899, he went to study in Britain for three years, specializing in British 18th century literature. After returning to China, he began to create literature. In 1905, he published the novel "I am a Cat", which was well received and made him famous overnight. Natsume Soseki learned Chinese since he was a child and had a high level of attainment in both Eastern and Western cultures. His work style combines the essence of Eastern and Western cultures. He enjoys a high status in the history of modern Japanese literature and is known as the "national great writer." His representative works include "I am a Cat", "Sanshiro", "From Now on", "Door", "Heart", "Pedestrian", "Grass Pillow", etc.

"I laugh at myself more often than I laugh at them. My laughter and my scolding are full of wormwood." - Natsume Sōseki

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About the Translator

劉子倩 Liu Ziqian

She graduated from the Department of Sociology of National Chengchi University and later received a master's degree in sociology from the University of Tsukuba in Japan. She is currently working as a full-time translator. She has translated many books, including novels, motivational books, practical books, art books, etc., including Japanese literary works such as "Patriotic Concern" by Yukio Mishima, "A Journey to Izu" by Yasunari Kawabata, "A Spring Story" by Junichiro Tanizaki, "The Female Disciple" by Osamu Dazai, and "The Gate" by Natsume Soseki.

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Source 大牌出版／Eslite Online