Author(s)

Jiao Li

Corresponding Author

Jiao Li

Abstract

Ten Nights of Dreams is one of the representative works of Japanese writer, Soseki Natsume, at his peak of art creation. The first night, as the opening work, reflects on the relationship between men and women, the relationship between self and the others, human survival dilemma and hope, as well as social and ethical issues through the love of a man and a woman for a hundred years, which lays the foundation for the overall style and philosophical connotation of the book. The first night constructs a narrative structure under the intersection of time and space through the visualization of time and space and the transformation between space and time. Through this article, Soseki Natsume asks questions about the times and Japanese society, and expresses his views on marriage and love of advocating “pure love”, “equality” and “being the others for each other”. He also agrees with ethics of “the other” proposed by Emmanuel Levinas, and conveys his deep humanistic care.

Keywords

Soseki natsume, Ten nights of dreams, Time and space, Narrative structure, Value on love and marriage, The other's ethics