Mateo Falcone マテオ・ファルコーネ

英語の後に日本語が続きます。

The books that stay in your memory reveal who you are. Mateo Falcone is one such book for me.

Mateo Falcone is a short story by Prosper Mérimée about Mateo Falcone, a respected landowner in Corsica. Mateo kills his 10-year-old son, Fortunato, because the boy acts as a 'traitor.' While Mateo was away, Fortunato first hides a fugitive seeking help in exchange for a silver coin, but later betrays his whereabouts to a soldier for a silver watch. (See this Wikipedia page for details.)

It's barbaric for a father to kill his 10-year-old son, whatever the reason (and it's of course wrong to kill), but that's not why I still remember this story. Mateo's decision to choose his morals over his son's life fascinated—and still fascinates—me.

I'm not writing to judge whether Mateo was right or wrong (again, it's of course wrong to kill), but one thing I can say for sure is that I cannot like Fortunato because I hate traitors. I hate traitors so much that I didn't tell a teacher the names of my classmates who passed me notes during class, no matter how angry the teacher got. Also, I didn't tell my father about my brother's money troubles until the issue became unmanageable and I had to leave it in my dad's hands.

I read this book at my paternal grandparents' house once or twice, but it was so shocking that I still sometimes remember the story. I ask myself from time to time what I would say if I were a German under the Nazi regime who hid a Jewish friend and was asked by a cop if I was hiding a Jew...

I probably would not be able to keep my mouth shut. Like Fortunato, I'm not that strong. And while I disagree with Mateo's way of handling the situation, I cannot help but feel some sympathy for him because he observed his morals so strictly that he had to kill his son. Such strength to act on his beliefs intrigues me.    

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マテオ・ファルコーネ、ご存じですか。メリメの短編で、コルシカ島の名士であるマテオ・ファルコーネが１０歳の息子を殺すという筋です。理由は息子が裏切り者だったから。息子のフォルチュナトは、マテオの留守中に逃げてきた男を一旦は銀貨をもらって匿うのですが、その後、追ってきた兵士が差し出した銀時計欲しさに居場所を漏らしてしまい、男は逮捕されてしまいます。

読んだのは小学生の頃。祖父母の家にあった世界文学全集に含まれていました。子供心に大きな感銘？ショック？を受けました。「犯罪者逮捕」に協力した１０歳の息子を殺すなんてありえないのですが、ここでマテオの行動の是非について論ずるつもりはありません。ただ一つ言えるのは、私どうしても、フォルチュナトのことを好きにはなれない、ということです。

子供の頃から「裏切り」行為が大嫌いでした。授業中に手紙が回ってきて先生にばれたときも友人の名前は言いませんでした。そして今も時々自問します。今がナチの時代でうちにユダヤ人を匿っているとして、ゲシュタポが来て問い詰められたら、私は黙ったままでいられるだろうか。

黙っていられる自信はありません。マテオのやり方に賛成しているわけでもありません。でも、マテオが自分の「筋」を通すその強さに私はなぜか惹きつけられるのです。

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