In the Japanese culture artists are very respected and even venerated. Masuji Ono, the main character of the novel the Artist of the Floating by Kazuo Ishiguro, is the "art teacher" but mostly the "Sensei" to his pupils. This is the respect that Ono won over the years with his work as artist. In the first chapter "October 1948", the author Ishiguro shows an instance when Kuroda, star pupil of Ono, says,
"I have suspected for some time that Sensei was unaware of the high regard in which he is held by people in this city. Indeed, as the instance he has just related amply illustrates, his reputation has now spread beyond the world of art, to all walks of life. But how typical of Sensei's modest nature that he is unaware of this." Ishiguro, 25
This is a very moving speech made with conviction and love for his instructor. Ishiguro, the author, mentions it because it supposed to show that Ono felt proud of the fact that he was respected even though he was a very modest person. The Migi-Hidari, "pleasure district" for Ono and his pupils, was the place where artist enjoyed themselves discussion issues. This was the place to be be if you wanted to be considered respectable.
Ono's pupils called him "Sensei" and were proud to be part of the circle in at Migi-Hidari. They listened attentively to Ono when he taught them lessons. At one point Ono tells them about the instance he decided to be disloyal to his to master Takeda in order to advance and he says,
"The Takeda experience taught me never to follow the crowd blindly, but to consider carefully the direction in which I was being pushed. And if there's one thing I've tried to encourage you all to do, it's been to rise above the sway of things. To rise above the undesirable and decadent influences that have swamped us and have done so much to weaken the fibre of our nation these past ten, fifteen years." Ishiguro, 73
This is almost a prophetic statement given by Masuji Ono encouraging to his pupils to do as he once did. The story of Ono shows that all his pupils have decided to question their master. The war has surely changed them but it is not only that. Ono and his pupils no longer get together to discuss anything. Kuroda, the one who gave the passionate speech about Ono know evades his teacher. Why is this happening? We know the war definitely separated them and changed the pupils, but why would Kuroda evade Sensei Ono if he only encouraged him to show his patriotism at the time of war with his art? Why would Ono have to hide his art now?
I find all these aspect of the start of the novel very intriguing.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Thursday, January 20, 2011
War is Hell
Years have passed since the artist Masuji Ono retired from his beloved ability to paint and left behind not only that ambition, but also relived himself of his past. After World War 2, Japan was in devastation and had little or not much to gain, due to the lives and resources that were consumed to provide Imperial Japan with a strong empire to conquer the territory around the Pacific. Yet, many things before and after have affected Mr. Ono after the war and due to this, he lost his devotion to art.
Perhaps of all the things that changed Mr. Ono was his father’s willingness to stop him from becoming an artist, since, in his father’s eyes, artists’, “ live in squalor and poverty” (46). It was due to this negativity that brought Mr. Ono to a rather surprising and disobedient conclusion. One believes that after such a statement from a parent, especially an honorable Japanese father, a child would stop and do anything to honor his parents and please them. It’s this Japanese philosophy that an obedient child would most likely live better off and not do anything else to make his parents annoyed. Yet, Ono makes a strong statement to his mother by saying that even though his father, not wanting his son to be a weak and depraved artist, wouldn’t agree to his art all he did was, “ kindled [his] ambition” (48). This shows that, even before the war for Japan in the 1930’s, Ono had a special gift to use for art. Not only that, but also, Japan was expanding and making a name on the global stage. Everything changed though after the war came through. Art for Imperial Japan and Ono won’t be the same, depicting heroes on the front and even the landscape would change.
Banzai! A common Japanese battle cry used to honor the Emperor before a suicidal charge that, in the long run, brought nothing but destruction to Imperial Japan and to Ono’s family. It’s during the war, that Ono had the most anxiety and was beginning to fall apart on his artistic ability to even continue on with his work. The novel provides details to show that how devastating the war had affected not only Ono, but also his surroundings and neighbors. Every Japanese family gave up their best young men to fight and bring back honor to their families after their deaths. Yet, the people and land, in other words, Ono’s world turned from a beautiful and wealthy Japan, to a war-torn landscape full of debris and rubble. Yet, the most devastating thing was the death of his son. Due to Japan’s conquest of Manchuria during and after the war, the Soviet Communists decided to invade due to its declaration of war. Here, Ono’s son, Kenji, died after a suicidal banzai attempt to charge at the enemy Soviets, but was killed during the battle. Same as with other families, I’m pretty sure such a deadly blow to Ono, seeing that Kenji as his only son, had some kind of influence on his retirement of art. Ono, yet, retains a peaceful mindset and sets off to try to leave such things as his father’s negative attitude towards new things such as the art that gave Ono an opportunity to pursue something he enjoyed and was good at.
If it weren’t for the war, Ono might’ve still practiced art and perhaps teached others, He could’ve done something about his love for that ability and continue to enjoy what he does best. Yet, life isn’t always fair and Ono lived through the struggles that life tosses to him day by day.
Ishiguro, Kazuo. An Artist of the Floating World. New York. Vintage International. 1989.
Perhaps of all the things that changed Mr. Ono was his father’s willingness to stop him from becoming an artist, since, in his father’s eyes, artists’, “ live in squalor and poverty” (46). It was due to this negativity that brought Mr. Ono to a rather surprising and disobedient conclusion. One believes that after such a statement from a parent, especially an honorable Japanese father, a child would stop and do anything to honor his parents and please them. It’s this Japanese philosophy that an obedient child would most likely live better off and not do anything else to make his parents annoyed. Yet, Ono makes a strong statement to his mother by saying that even though his father, not wanting his son to be a weak and depraved artist, wouldn’t agree to his art all he did was, “ kindled [his] ambition” (48). This shows that, even before the war for Japan in the 1930’s, Ono had a special gift to use for art. Not only that, but also, Japan was expanding and making a name on the global stage. Everything changed though after the war came through. Art for Imperial Japan and Ono won’t be the same, depicting heroes on the front and even the landscape would change.
Banzai! A common Japanese battle cry used to honor the Emperor before a suicidal charge that, in the long run, brought nothing but destruction to Imperial Japan and to Ono’s family. It’s during the war, that Ono had the most anxiety and was beginning to fall apart on his artistic ability to even continue on with his work. The novel provides details to show that how devastating the war had affected not only Ono, but also his surroundings and neighbors. Every Japanese family gave up their best young men to fight and bring back honor to their families after their deaths. Yet, the people and land, in other words, Ono’s world turned from a beautiful and wealthy Japan, to a war-torn landscape full of debris and rubble. Yet, the most devastating thing was the death of his son. Due to Japan’s conquest of Manchuria during and after the war, the Soviet Communists decided to invade due to its declaration of war. Here, Ono’s son, Kenji, died after a suicidal banzai attempt to charge at the enemy Soviets, but was killed during the battle. Same as with other families, I’m pretty sure such a deadly blow to Ono, seeing that Kenji as his only son, had some kind of influence on his retirement of art. Ono, yet, retains a peaceful mindset and sets off to try to leave such things as his father’s negative attitude towards new things such as the art that gave Ono an opportunity to pursue something he enjoyed and was good at.
If it weren’t for the war, Ono might’ve still practiced art and perhaps teached others, He could’ve done something about his love for that ability and continue to enjoy what he does best. Yet, life isn’t always fair and Ono lived through the struggles that life tosses to him day by day.
Ishiguro, Kazuo. An Artist of the Floating World. New York. Vintage International. 1989.
An Auction of Prestige
The idea I want to focus on is found at the very beginning of the book when Ishiguro writes, “We are not interested in receiving anything beyond the quoted price. What we mean to do from here on is to conduct an Auction of Prestige” (Ishiguro 9). The setting is that Akira Sugimura – a very wealthy, respected and influential man – wants to sell his huge property. He does not want to give his beautiful to just any person. He is not interested in the person that offers the most money but instead in the person that most it. That’s why he sends out the message that he is having an auction of prestige and not of money.
In order to know what he means by this, we have to understand the definition of prestige. According to the dictionary, prestige is the reputation or influence gained form success, achievement, rank, or other favorable attributes. Basically it would be like making a good name for you. I find this idea of an auction of prestige very interesting because it is not something we are used to. Usually in an auction, we give the object to the person that can pay the most money for it – whether they deserve it or not. This is how the stereotype that money equals happiness is created. The stereotype seems to be true because people that have the money to buy themselves whatever they want are not going to think twice about getting what they want; even if in the process you might be taking away that object from somebody that really needs it but just can’t afford it. This is why I really like the idea of an auction of prestige. It puts aside the money boundaries.
My question is which is more reasonable to have; a regular auction or an auction of prestige? Good argument can be made for both sides. For example, when arguing for an auction of prestige we can say how money won’t be an issue that determines if you really deserve something or not, instead it will be your actions and what you have done in the past. This makes it fair for every person interested in the house to have an equal chance as long as they are good people. The counter argument for that is, who is judging and determining that you are worthy of living in that house. So Akira Sugimura, the owner of the house, and his family are using their own judgments to decide who can buy the house.
I don’t only want to bring attention to the fact of this action but to the fact that the author starts off the book with this idea. I see it as the author making his main character/narrator make it clear from the beginning the reasons why he lives in a big and nice house. He is not there because he is very wealthy and made a mansion out of his property. Instead he is there because one of the most influential men of his time thought he deserved to live there. Maybe this is an important fact that will come back again later in the book. The idea that he earned his right to be where he is now because of who he is and not for how much money he has.
Ichiro’s Balance
Throughout the entire plot of An Artist of the Floating World, Kazuo Ishiguro forces the readers to put on Masuji Ono’s shoes through the descriptive detail that is packed into this book. Each narration and dialog I feel as though those people are actually surrounding me. I see the aging skin of myself (Ono) through a mirror, the newly formed beauty of Setsuko, and the “cobwebs and mould” in the “remains of Sugimara’s garden corridor.” (p.12) But the thing that stands out to me the most is the “heavy thump [that] made the whole house shake” that caught Ono’s attention. With a worried and cautioned look on Ono’s face, he quickly rushes into the dining room. He is taken aback by the darkness and waits until his eyes are able to adjust to it. After a while he notices that nothing is there. Before he gets a chance to turn around and leave, he hears two more bangs. He realizes that the noise is coming from the adjacent room. The moment he enters, he notices his grandson, Ichiro, galloping on a wooden horse.
Throughout this scene, Ishiguro displays Ichiro’s mature, demanding and independent character. He does this through descriptive detail and demanding diction. When Ichiro noticed he was being watched, he “angrily turned” to shout, “Can’t you see I’m busy?” (p. 29) Soon after, he tells his grandfather that he couldn’t play with him at the moment in a screeching way. After a while, he allows his grandfather to watch him as long as he wasn’t disturbed. Ichiro is descriptively described as being watchful and moody showing how serious he was about his drama. His demanding diction shows how his difference with other characters. While others are scared to say the wrong thing to someone, Ichiro speaks his mind freely.
He stands out from the rest of the characters because unlike him, everyone seems like their life is being drained. The other characters seem as though they don’t have any meaning left. Setsuko is being brain washed by her husband Suichi, Ono is focusing too much on what used to be, and Noriko is concentrating too much on her current marriage arrangements. Ichiro’s eagerness to repeat English while pretending to be Lone Ranger shows how he is ready to adapt to other cultures and is open-minded. He is eager to go watch Godzilla while the others aren’t that enthusiastic about it. His dissimilarity with his family balances them. He makes up for the lack of enthusiasm in his family.
Something that I notice is a reoccurring object is the veranda. Setsuko and Ono are always out there relaxing. I believe they find that place to be their sanctum to retreat from their stress. There has to be reason why that place is their place to retreat. Is it because they grew up in a house that had a veranda as well? Maybe it’s because the veranda brings them closer with nature.
In the first section that we read, Noriko’s previous marriage arrangement is an issue that was unsolved. The sisters have suspicions of the arrangement because they believed it was a “love match.” (p.18) They assume Ono had something to do with it or at least knows why it didn’t work out as planned. He claims that he knows nothing about what went wrong. On page 53, Noriko comes across Jiro Miyake. She talks to him like they were friends without having any arrangements made earlier. This says something about her character because she acts like nothing happened even though she was in love with him. Does this mean that she is strong willed and won’t let a bad incident keep her from being happy or does this mean she keeps things bottled up inside so well that it looks like she is happy?
Throughout this scene, Ishiguro displays Ichiro’s mature, demanding and independent character. He does this through descriptive detail and demanding diction. When Ichiro noticed he was being watched, he “angrily turned” to shout, “Can’t you see I’m busy?” (p. 29) Soon after, he tells his grandfather that he couldn’t play with him at the moment in a screeching way. After a while, he allows his grandfather to watch him as long as he wasn’t disturbed. Ichiro is descriptively described as being watchful and moody showing how serious he was about his drama. His demanding diction shows how his difference with other characters. While others are scared to say the wrong thing to someone, Ichiro speaks his mind freely.
He stands out from the rest of the characters because unlike him, everyone seems like their life is being drained. The other characters seem as though they don’t have any meaning left. Setsuko is being brain washed by her husband Suichi, Ono is focusing too much on what used to be, and Noriko is concentrating too much on her current marriage arrangements. Ichiro’s eagerness to repeat English while pretending to be Lone Ranger shows how he is ready to adapt to other cultures and is open-minded. He is eager to go watch Godzilla while the others aren’t that enthusiastic about it. His dissimilarity with his family balances them. He makes up for the lack of enthusiasm in his family.
Something that I notice is a reoccurring object is the veranda. Setsuko and Ono are always out there relaxing. I believe they find that place to be their sanctum to retreat from their stress. There has to be reason why that place is their place to retreat. Is it because they grew up in a house that had a veranda as well? Maybe it’s because the veranda brings them closer with nature.
In the first section that we read, Noriko’s previous marriage arrangement is an issue that was unsolved. The sisters have suspicions of the arrangement because they believed it was a “love match.” (p.18) They assume Ono had something to do with it or at least knows why it didn’t work out as planned. He claims that he knows nothing about what went wrong. On page 53, Noriko comes across Jiro Miyake. She talks to him like they were friends without having any arrangements made earlier. This says something about her character because she acts like nothing happened even though she was in love with him. Does this mean that she is strong willed and won’t let a bad incident keep her from being happy or does this mean she keeps things bottled up inside so well that it looks like she is happy?
Father to Daughter
Father to Daughter
As a child I grew up in a household where everybody (the children ) was treated more or less the same. We got the same food, the same education, even the same punishments mostly. In Kazuo Ishiguras novel, “An Artist of the Floating World”, Sensei Ono-sans two daughters, Noriko and Setsuko don’t seem to have had it quite the same as I did.
Its apparent from the beginning of the novel that Noriko and Setsuko are two very different people with two very different personalities. The very way they carry themselves and speak is evidence to the fact. “Im relieved you’ve come home at last Setsuko. You’ll take father off my hands a little”(13). Though Noriko says this to her elder sister in a playful manner the comment still puts Setsuko in an uncomfortable position. The very thought of insuting her father is unnerving to her. After every retort Ono-san gives it seems like Setsuko responds with “forgive me “ or “please excuse me”. The apologies implement the idea that she is scared of her father and of what he might do if her were to become insulted by her. Where as it seems Noriko is the exact opposite of her sister. She is outspoken and impulsive. “Ill have enough to do without father to look after.” (14). What was it or what is it that made these two sisters who grew up in the same household behave so differently from one another? I believe that Setsuko was obviously treated differently from her sister, probably much more harsh and that is what has given her such a submissive attitude and demeanor. Noriko even says to Setsuko “Theres no need to be afraid of him any more. He’s much more gentle and domesticated.” (13) What is it she is so afraid of?
Ultimately Noriko is the obvious favorite which is evident through her almost arrogant speech, while Setsuko had a much harder time. She was as the elder daughter the guinea pig of Ono-sans rage and Noriko being the second got the more compassionate of their father.
As a child I grew up in a household where everybody (the children ) was treated more or less the same. We got the same food, the same education, even the same punishments mostly. In Kazuo Ishiguras novel, “An Artist of the Floating World”, Sensei Ono-sans two daughters, Noriko and Setsuko don’t seem to have had it quite the same as I did.
Its apparent from the beginning of the novel that Noriko and Setsuko are two very different people with two very different personalities. The very way they carry themselves and speak is evidence to the fact. “Im relieved you’ve come home at last Setsuko. You’ll take father off my hands a little”(13). Though Noriko says this to her elder sister in a playful manner the comment still puts Setsuko in an uncomfortable position. The very thought of insuting her father is unnerving to her. After every retort Ono-san gives it seems like Setsuko responds with “forgive me “ or “please excuse me”. The apologies implement the idea that she is scared of her father and of what he might do if her were to become insulted by her. Where as it seems Noriko is the exact opposite of her sister. She is outspoken and impulsive. “Ill have enough to do without father to look after.” (14). What was it or what is it that made these two sisters who grew up in the same household behave so differently from one another? I believe that Setsuko was obviously treated differently from her sister, probably much more harsh and that is what has given her such a submissive attitude and demeanor. Noriko even says to Setsuko “Theres no need to be afraid of him any more. He’s much more gentle and domesticated.” (13) What is it she is so afraid of?
Ultimately Noriko is the obvious favorite which is evident through her almost arrogant speech, while Setsuko had a much harder time. She was as the elder daughter the guinea pig of Ono-sans rage and Noriko being the second got the more compassionate of their father.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Marriage
Marriage is brought up in the first chapter of the book many times in the first chapter. It is something that keeps coming up. The first time that it was brought up. It was on page 17 where it talks about Setsuko. Setsuko is the daughter of the artist, Masuji Ono. Masuji tells the reader about the worry that he and his wife have for his daughter. The worry is that she wouldn't make a good wife. In this culture we can see that Marriage is a big thing/deal. It is something a woman waits for and looks forward to. Masuji Ono noticed his daughter's beauty while she visited him. She noticed that was getting better looking. He states "Setsuko is becoming better looking as she gets older." With this sentence we see that beauty is something that leads up to marriage. The beauty of the woman attracts and determines marriage. He then states, " In her youth, her mother and I had worried that she was too plain to make a good marriage." By Setsuko not having beauty, she lacks other characteristics and gets held back by not having that beauty. Therefore her marriage won’t be as good as others, her parents theorized. This insecurity has made this girl turn out “so shy” and “retiring”. Setsuko is now in her thirties and married but is finally “flowering” according to her mother.
Her sister, Noriko has been engaged and has almost gotten married. Noriko is described as “have grown up so headstrong”. Which in a way can be stated as prepared for marriage. Marriage has excited Noriko and disappointed her. Noriko’s engagement was called off unexpectedly. Which leads to Setsuko to wonder and question a lot of things. Marriage is one thing that they want and can’t wait for. But after it wounded Noriko the way it did, Setsuko wonders what other things aren’t loyal. She questions her father and implies that he knows something when he doesn’t. He tells the reader, “that was not the first time Setsuko had questioned me in such a way concerning last year”. Setsuko has questioned her father before implying he knows something about marriage and engagements. She questions about marriage. This incident has left Setsuko questioning anything that comes her way. I sense fear in the way the author has her ramble about the incident that happened to Noriko. The way she makes up excuses for the family that called off the engagement.
This topic is brought up again on page 52, Noriko states about how she has encountered Jiro Miyake. She expresses her feelings about the withdrawal. She states that she thinks she wasn’t pretty enough and that maybe when she was engaged; the family had already wanted to withdraw. This event has scarred Noriko, in the fear of not getting married, which seems to be very important in this culture. It has made a woman who was once so “headstrong” be insecure of her beauty and value. Noriko feels that she wasn’t pretty enough or that she didn’t meet the requirements that Jiro Miyake and his family had for a wife. Set suko has gone all the way and married. Both started the same but went different paths. Both paths were teh same but different endings occurred. They were both raised the same way but now one is married and the other stuck at home.
Marriage is a serious, serious business. In this book it shows the common interest of daughters and female characters wanting to get married. A woman dreams of the day that she is being taken by her husband and she knows that she is given the opportunity to do her job on Earth which in this culture is believed to give birth, to reproduce. Time has changed this by making woman independent and successful without the need of the male. Women are now educated and can do anything. The female’s job is not to reproduce but to help this world find a way to extend the time of existence for humans.
Work Cited
Ishiguro,Kazuo. An Artist of the Floating World. New York: Vintage Books, 1986. Print
Her sister, Noriko has been engaged and has almost gotten married. Noriko is described as “have grown up so headstrong”. Which in a way can be stated as prepared for marriage. Marriage has excited Noriko and disappointed her. Noriko’s engagement was called off unexpectedly. Which leads to Setsuko to wonder and question a lot of things. Marriage is one thing that they want and can’t wait for. But after it wounded Noriko the way it did, Setsuko wonders what other things aren’t loyal. She questions her father and implies that he knows something when he doesn’t. He tells the reader, “that was not the first time Setsuko had questioned me in such a way concerning last year”. Setsuko has questioned her father before implying he knows something about marriage and engagements. She questions about marriage. This incident has left Setsuko questioning anything that comes her way. I sense fear in the way the author has her ramble about the incident that happened to Noriko. The way she makes up excuses for the family that called off the engagement.
This topic is brought up again on page 52, Noriko states about how she has encountered Jiro Miyake. She expresses her feelings about the withdrawal. She states that she thinks she wasn’t pretty enough and that maybe when she was engaged; the family had already wanted to withdraw. This event has scarred Noriko, in the fear of not getting married, which seems to be very important in this culture. It has made a woman who was once so “headstrong” be insecure of her beauty and value. Noriko feels that she wasn’t pretty enough or that she didn’t meet the requirements that Jiro Miyake and his family had for a wife. Set suko has gone all the way and married. Both started the same but went different paths. Both paths were teh same but different endings occurred. They were both raised the same way but now one is married and the other stuck at home.
Marriage is a serious, serious business. In this book it shows the common interest of daughters and female characters wanting to get married. A woman dreams of the day that she is being taken by her husband and she knows that she is given the opportunity to do her job on Earth which in this culture is believed to give birth, to reproduce. Time has changed this by making woman independent and successful without the need of the male. Women are now educated and can do anything. The female’s job is not to reproduce but to help this world find a way to extend the time of existence for humans.
Work Cited
Ishiguro,Kazuo. An Artist of the Floating World. New York: Vintage Books, 1986. Print
Honor, Respect and perspective on being a Artist
Why do the younger generation harbor bitterness towards their elders?
A) The War
B) Traditional Roles in a Japanese household
To get a feel for the great, empire of Japan one must investigate what made it so great. During the 1930’s Japan was coming out of a great depression and so that meant the country had to keep stimulating its economy by means: occupation of other countries and war. The nobles were getting rich and commoners had jobs; all was well in Japan. Not only that but Japan’s culture was thriving again as it did during the beginning of the 19th century. For instance, the code of Bushido, has influenced Japanese military when it comes to honor. The code reads if you break a rule then it’s “dishonorable” and you must commit suicide in order to regain your honor. And as you read Kazuo Ishiguro’s An Artist of The Floating World you hear of the war crimes committed by certain individuals and how they “apologize” to the families who have lost individuals to the war by committing suicide.
Back to the original question however is why do the young people feel they have the right to disrespect their elders? An obvious reason we can all give is that we’re tired of having our father’s tell us what to do just because they’re the patriarch and that’s how it should be in a traditional Japanese household. For instance when Misuji Ono recalls how his father used to neglect him from being in the reception area because of his “business”, it just made Misuji want to pursue a different career path. Why? Masuji explains, “ I meant I wish to rise above such a life”(47) . Masuji did not think it was right for his father to judge artists for being “weak” , especially go even to say they live in poverty and squalor. To get a bigger picture I shall explain a little clearer. I’m assuming since Masuji’s father father is a businessman that they’re rich, and to find out that your only son wants to be a artist is bringing shame to the name of the family. So it’s not about Masuji or what he wants but what dad wants for himself and the family name. This creates the bitterness which Masuji transforms to ambition for his future career in painting.
The second reason for the cause of bitterness between generations is the affects of post-war. Let’s all imagine we live in Japan and we love it; to see it destroyed by bombs from American planes upsets you a lot in fact it ignites this hate that you eventually vent it towards the older generation who got the country in this mess. This brings us to another recollection of Masuji with the infamous Jiro Miyake. What’s interesting about this encounter is the conversation Miyaki leads about his deceased boss. He justifies that it was right of the president to die in order for the employees to, "... forget our past transgressions and look to the future. It was a great thing our president did"(55). Awful, just terrible how this younger person speaks to defy the choices the elder made during the war - it's all past! But it seems the consequences of the war follow everyone.
To be continued....
A) The War
B) Traditional Roles in a Japanese household
To get a feel for the great, empire of Japan one must investigate what made it so great. During the 1930’s Japan was coming out of a great depression and so that meant the country had to keep stimulating its economy by means: occupation of other countries and war. The nobles were getting rich and commoners had jobs; all was well in Japan. Not only that but Japan’s culture was thriving again as it did during the beginning of the 19th century. For instance, the code of Bushido, has influenced Japanese military when it comes to honor. The code reads if you break a rule then it’s “dishonorable” and you must commit suicide in order to regain your honor. And as you read Kazuo Ishiguro’s An Artist of The Floating World you hear of the war crimes committed by certain individuals and how they “apologize” to the families who have lost individuals to the war by committing suicide.
Back to the original question however is why do the young people feel they have the right to disrespect their elders? An obvious reason we can all give is that we’re tired of having our father’s tell us what to do just because they’re the patriarch and that’s how it should be in a traditional Japanese household. For instance when Misuji Ono recalls how his father used to neglect him from being in the reception area because of his “business”, it just made Misuji want to pursue a different career path. Why? Masuji explains, “ I meant I wish to rise above such a life”(47) . Masuji did not think it was right for his father to judge artists for being “weak” , especially go even to say they live in poverty and squalor. To get a bigger picture I shall explain a little clearer. I’m assuming since Masuji’s father father is a businessman that they’re rich, and to find out that your only son wants to be a artist is bringing shame to the name of the family. So it’s not about Masuji or what he wants but what dad wants for himself and the family name. This creates the bitterness which Masuji transforms to ambition for his future career in painting.
The second reason for the cause of bitterness between generations is the affects of post-war. Let’s all imagine we live in Japan and we love it; to see it destroyed by bombs from American planes upsets you a lot in fact it ignites this hate that you eventually vent it towards the older generation who got the country in this mess. This brings us to another recollection of Masuji with the infamous Jiro Miyake. What’s interesting about this encounter is the conversation Miyaki leads about his deceased boss. He justifies that it was right of the president to die in order for the employees to, "... forget our past transgressions and look to the future. It was a great thing our president did"(55). Awful, just terrible how this younger person speaks to defy the choices the elder made during the war - it's all past! But it seems the consequences of the war follow everyone.
To be continued....
Two Different Worlds
When two different countries from opposite sides of the globe combine, the results are quite surprising. Kazuo Ishiguro attempts to create a sort of complex word by both contrasting the different qualities in America and Japan and also mixing them throughout the offspring of Masuji Ono. Ishiguro is able to show the transition from the pre-Pearl Harbor era to the atomic bomb aftermath, showing the slow dilution of Japanese culture.
Masuji Ono, the protagonist of the story, is known to have been a famous artist. When he mets the daughters of Sugimura, who "was unquestionably amongst the city's most respected and influental men."(Ishiguro pg 7), he is praised by them, "He (Sugimura) had much respect for artists. Indeed, he knew of your work."(pg 9) Unsurprisingly, Sugimura was also an artist. What I noticed about this is that the Japanese had much respect for artists. Not the artist that sing hip-hop or appear in Hollywood movies, but the ones who do actual art- paintings, murals, masterpieces.
There is also a deep sense of patriotism and securing the right future for your children and their children. Ono was one the people behind the imperialist movement that eventually pushed Japan into getting involved in WWII. However both Ono and Sugimura, who happened to be very well respected man, have quite a bit of differences with the children of the current times of the latter part of the first hundred pages.
Ono's grandson Icharo, appears to be a weird, complex kid. The first scene where I noticed this was when Icharo was pretending to be a cowboy, which is a crucial part of West American culture at the time the book was written. However, Icharo is also interested in painting. There is a scene where Ono notices that Icharo is a "promising" kid. The problem comes when Ono invites Icharo to the movies- Icharo somehow loses concentration to the point where "the shapes merged and became meaningless."(pg 34) Then all of a sudden he gets up and speaks cowboy. Ishiguro does this to show how the combination of American and Japanese values led to a bit of chaos- the "shapes merged and became meaningless".
After thinking about these two passages, I gathered more clues from my own knowledge. I know that once the the Japanese surrendered to the Americans, they had to give up their military, or most of it. Americans then volunteered to become the Japanese army. That move probably brought in quite a bit of globalization and a strange mix of cultures. I mean, look at Japan today- it's a place full of technology with mass population and a fast-growing economy and population. I probably need to keep reading more, but what I am getting is that Ishiguro wants to use Ono in order to reflect his views on the slow loss of original Japanese culture, that is, before the war.
What is Ono's bridge to the war?
As one reads the very first lines in Kazuo Ishiguro's An Artist of the Floating World, one gets introduced to "the Bridge of Hesitation". The Bridge of Hesitation is brought up a couple of times in the first 100 pages. The Bridge of Hesitation is both a physical place and metaphor, obviously like the metaphor of the floating world in the title. Each time the Bridge of Hesitation is brought up, there are different options at the end of the bridge. In the beginning of the book, the bridge is a gateway to a beautiful house that "stands out from all others nearby" (Ishiguro 7). This beautiful house is the house of the main character Ono. This house is his present. The next time the Bridge of Hesitation gets mentioned is when it's referring to the view of the remains of the old pleasure system. This is the result of World War II. All these remains are the past, because in the present these are actually fixed. So how does this Bridge of Hesitation relate to Ono?
Throughout the novel, Ono jumps around from story to story. He never sticks to one subject or time frame; it is back and forth between past and present. As we know, Ono is the amazing artist in the novel, and he is floating between the worlds of past and present. This Bridge of Hesitation seems to be his path between both worlds. He hesitates to choose one or the other.
In times of war, the means of surrender shows weakness. In order to honor oneself, if defeated in battle, one would have to take up responsibility and commit an act that would bring honor once again, usually suicide. The Japanese actually had a sword to perform this act. This sword is known as the harakiri. The sword is curved and it is supposed to be inserted in one's lower abdomen. Once inside, since the sword is curved, the curved part goes directly towards the heart and punctures it, resulting with a faster death. In a conversation with a prospective son-in-law, he finds that some of the younger generation sees the act of suicide as a waste of men. A soldier already went through a great ordeal, and although he didn't lose his life, he has to live through what he has committed with the rest of his life.
It appears that in some parts, Ono agrees that committing suicide is a waste, but in other parts he doesn't want to agree that the war itself was a waste. I say this because he stopped painting after Japan lost the war. Clearly his grandson's father thought so because in page 32 it mentions, "Father says you had to finish. Because Japan lost the war". The painting got him well known as artist, which is one of the reasons that got him the beautiful house he resides in. It also got him a lot of acknowledgements from different people. It seems the war was a sort of motivation. Either way Ono finds himself in a Bridge of Hesitation. Both endings are either the house or the results of the war, and they both seem to connect. Why is it that he sees suicide as a waste but he doesn't see the war as a waste, even though the loss of it is what makes people commit suicide to maintain their honor? Is there more behind it? How was he involved exactly?
Throughout the novel, Ono jumps around from story to story. He never sticks to one subject or time frame; it is back and forth between past and present. As we know, Ono is the amazing artist in the novel, and he is floating between the worlds of past and present. This Bridge of Hesitation seems to be his path between both worlds. He hesitates to choose one or the other.
In times of war, the means of surrender shows weakness. In order to honor oneself, if defeated in battle, one would have to take up responsibility and commit an act that would bring honor once again, usually suicide. The Japanese actually had a sword to perform this act. This sword is known as the harakiri. The sword is curved and it is supposed to be inserted in one's lower abdomen. Once inside, since the sword is curved, the curved part goes directly towards the heart and punctures it, resulting with a faster death. In a conversation with a prospective son-in-law, he finds that some of the younger generation sees the act of suicide as a waste of men. A soldier already went through a great ordeal, and although he didn't lose his life, he has to live through what he has committed with the rest of his life.
It appears that in some parts, Ono agrees that committing suicide is a waste, but in other parts he doesn't want to agree that the war itself was a waste. I say this because he stopped painting after Japan lost the war. Clearly his grandson's father thought so because in page 32 it mentions, "Father says you had to finish. Because Japan lost the war". The painting got him well known as artist, which is one of the reasons that got him the beautiful house he resides in. It also got him a lot of acknowledgements from different people. It seems the war was a sort of motivation. Either way Ono finds himself in a Bridge of Hesitation. Both endings are either the house or the results of the war, and they both seem to connect. Why is it that he sees suicide as a waste but he doesn't see the war as a waste, even though the loss of it is what makes people commit suicide to maintain their honor? Is there more behind it? How was he involved exactly?
Who is Suichi?
“It’s just that Suichi persists in asking me from time to time about last year, about why the Miyakes should have pulled out like that. He seems convinced I know some secret and that we’re all keeping it from him. I have to continually reassure him that I have no idea myself.” (p.18) Words like “persists”, “convinced”, “secret”, “keeping”, “continually” and “reassure” define the thinking process of Suichi, which illustrates part of his character. He is a character who is mentioned about four times in this book. Although he isn’t mentioned as much as the other major characters, one can easily realize the influential impact Suichi has on others.
One example that portrays this impact is on page 36 when Ono tells Setsuko that before the War, people weren’t allowed to watch American films. Setsuko then tells Ono that Suichi enlightened Ichiro that “American heroes are better for children.” (p. 36) Suichi influences Ichiro to become more open-minded and embrace other cultures other than his own. Now, Ichiro seems intrigued by the idea of idolizing cowboys because they seem better that ninjas and samurais. After constantly accusing Setsuko of knowing a secret about why the Miyakes declined the marriage offers, he persuades her to believe that Ono is withholding information from the rest of the family. When Setsuko questions Ono about any secrets, Ono quickly notices her suspicions. He gets irritated with Suichi because his views are “irrational.” (p.50) His irrational views are causing Ono to resent him because they contradict what he is trying to teach his daughters.
Suichi specifically asserts his mind. He is a profound speaker, according to Setsuko, because she says he “expresses things better.” (49)He is a “physically powerful man”, according to anyone who crosses his path, who is an innocent human being. (p.58) Ono enjoyed listening to the wit of Suichi but ever since the War, Suichi has become bitter. Now, he gets angry during funerals because he believes that his comrades died for “stupid causes.” (p.58)To him, “the greatest cowardice of all” is that the perpetrators who sent out these brave souls to do their dirty work are still alive. (p.58) “Suichi’s generation” have all become bitter because they have experienced these tragic affairs that many brave souls died from. (p.61) These experiences have caused people around him to dislike him to an extent.
I’ve noticed that he hardly ever comes around Setsuko’s family even though he is a very influential man. This is something I couldn’t quite figure out. Is it because he is afraid that people around him will remind him of his fallen comrades? Is it because he despises his country? Or is it because he dislikes Setsuko’s family?
One example that portrays this impact is on page 36 when Ono tells Setsuko that before the War, people weren’t allowed to watch American films. Setsuko then tells Ono that Suichi enlightened Ichiro that “American heroes are better for children.” (p. 36) Suichi influences Ichiro to become more open-minded and embrace other cultures other than his own. Now, Ichiro seems intrigued by the idea of idolizing cowboys because they seem better that ninjas and samurais. After constantly accusing Setsuko of knowing a secret about why the Miyakes declined the marriage offers, he persuades her to believe that Ono is withholding information from the rest of the family. When Setsuko questions Ono about any secrets, Ono quickly notices her suspicions. He gets irritated with Suichi because his views are “irrational.” (p.50) His irrational views are causing Ono to resent him because they contradict what he is trying to teach his daughters.
Suichi specifically asserts his mind. He is a profound speaker, according to Setsuko, because she says he “expresses things better.” (49)He is a “physically powerful man”, according to anyone who crosses his path, who is an innocent human being. (p.58) Ono enjoyed listening to the wit of Suichi but ever since the War, Suichi has become bitter. Now, he gets angry during funerals because he believes that his comrades died for “stupid causes.” (p.58)To him, “the greatest cowardice of all” is that the perpetrators who sent out these brave souls to do their dirty work are still alive. (p.58) “Suichi’s generation” have all become bitter because they have experienced these tragic affairs that many brave souls died from. (p.61) These experiences have caused people around him to dislike him to an extent.
I’ve noticed that he hardly ever comes around Setsuko’s family even though he is a very influential man. This is something I couldn’t quite figure out. Is it because he is afraid that people around him will remind him of his fallen comrades? Is it because he despises his country? Or is it because he dislikes Setsuko’s family?
The Balanc
Throughout this scene, Ishiguro displays Ichiro’s mature, demanding and independent character. He does this through descriptive detail and demanding diction. When Ichiro noticed he was being watched, he “angrily turned” to shout, “Can’t you see I’m busy?” (p. 29) Soon after, he tells his grandfather that he couldn’t play with him at the moment in a screeching way. After a while, he allows his grandfather to watch him as long as he wasn’t disturbed. Ichiro is descriptively described as being watchful and moody showing how serious he was about his drama. His demanding diction shows how his difference with other characters. While others are scared to say the wrong thing to someone, Ichiro speaks his mind freely.
He stands out from the rest of the characters because unlike him, everyone seems like their life is being drained. The other characters seem as though they don’t have any meaning left. Setsuko is being brain washed by her husband Suichi, Ono is focusing too much on what used to be, and Noriko is concentrating too much on her current marriage arrangements. Ichiro’s eagerness to repeat English while pretending to be Lone Ranger shows how he is ready to adapt to other cultures and is open-minded. He is eager to go watch Godzilla while the others aren’t that enthusiastic about it. His dissimilarity with his family balances them. He makes up for the lack of enthusiasm in his family.
Something that I notice is a reoccurring object is the veranda. Setsuko and Ono are always out there relaxing. I believe they find that place to be their sanctum to retreat from their stress. There has to be reason why that place is their place to retreat. Is it because they grew up in a house that had a veranda as well? Maybe it’s because the veranda brings them closer with nature.
In the first section that we read, Noriko’s previous marriage arrangement an issue that was unsolved. The sisters have suspicions of the arrangement because they believed it was a “love match.” (p.18) They assume Ono had something to do with it or at least knows why it didn’t work out as planned. He claims that he knows nothing about what went wrong. On page 53, Noriko comes across Jiro Miyake. She talks to him like they were friends without having any arrangements made earlier. This says something about her character because she acts like nothing happened even though she was in love with him. Does this mean that she is strong willed and won’t let a bad incident keep her from being happy or does this mean she keeps things bottled up inside so well that it looks like she is happy?
He stands out from the rest of the characters because unlike him, everyone seems like their life is being drained. The other characters seem as though they don’t have any meaning left. Setsuko is being brain washed by her husband Suichi, Ono is focusing too much on what used to be, and Noriko is concentrating too much on her current marriage arrangements. Ichiro’s eagerness to repeat English while pretending to be Lone Ranger shows how he is ready to adapt to other cultures and is open-minded. He is eager to go watch Godzilla while the others aren’t that enthusiastic about it. His dissimilarity with his family balances them. He makes up for the lack of enthusiasm in his family.
Something that I notice is a reoccurring object is the veranda. Setsuko and Ono are always out there relaxing. I believe they find that place to be their sanctum to retreat from their stress. There has to be reason why that place is their place to retreat. Is it because they grew up in a house that had a veranda as well? Maybe it’s because the veranda brings them closer with nature.
In the first section that we read, Noriko’s previous marriage arrangement an issue that was unsolved. The sisters have suspicions of the arrangement because they believed it was a “love match.” (p.18) They assume Ono had something to do with it or at least knows why it didn’t work out as planned. He claims that he knows nothing about what went wrong. On page 53, Noriko comes across Jiro Miyake. She talks to him like they were friends without having any arrangements made earlier. This says something about her character because she acts like nothing happened even though she was in love with him. Does this mean that she is strong willed and won’t let a bad incident keep her from being happy or does this mean she keeps things bottled up inside so well that it looks like she is happy?
Bridge of Hesitation
The bridge of hesitation is an image that is repeated three times through out the first one hundred pages. This is the bridge that leads to the ruined pleasure district. At the height of the war, the pleasure district was thriving due to the patriotic feelings that were around at the time. The pleasure district allowed the opportunity for patriotic artists to gather and entertain themselves without going against what their country mandated at the time.
The fate of the pleasure district was tied to the World War and as the War ended and the bombs were dropped, the pleasure district disintegrated. The only connection to it is through the bridge of hesitation. My question is why is this bridge named so?
If I had to make a guess as to why dub the bridge hesitation, I would say that it has to do with the hesitation that the Japanese elders have with being associated as patriots in the time before the war. The reason that they hesitate is that there is a huge cultural gap between the generations of people that were active during the war and those that came after. Both generations are Japanese, but the latter was brought up in America’s shadow, whereas the elders are truly Japanese. In Japanese culture, surrendering was a great shame, in fact the Japanese would charge machine gun lines and get mowed down to preserve their honor, but after the war, the younger generations saw this as a waste of life and resented their losses in the war. The younger generations basically became westernized, while the elders held a grudge.
An example of such grudge is seen when Ichiro is pretending to be a cowboy and Oji asks him if it wouldn’t be more enjoyable to pretend to be a Japanese warrior. Oji doesn’t reprimand Ichiro, but it does appear that he isn’t pleased with his nephew’s fascination with western culture. Oji even tries to distract Ichiro from playing cowboy by having him draw, however this fails and Ichiro is soon galloping away.
Another instance that shows hesitation in being connected to the past arises again when Oji seeks out his old acquaintances to ask them to watch their words if they are ever approached by a detective in regard to his past. Things that might have been considered honorable and brought pride in the past only bring shame in the present.
The bridge of hesitation leads to the wrecked heart of Japanese patriotism, however, so soon after the war, people have mixed feelings and hesitate to remember the past because all that exists in the past is pain. Aside from this, if you take a look at the way the younger people feel about the war and their opinions of their elders, it is easy to see why some might be hesitant to show their true colors.
The fate of the pleasure district was tied to the World War and as the War ended and the bombs were dropped, the pleasure district disintegrated. The only connection to it is through the bridge of hesitation. My question is why is this bridge named so?
If I had to make a guess as to why dub the bridge hesitation, I would say that it has to do with the hesitation that the Japanese elders have with being associated as patriots in the time before the war. The reason that they hesitate is that there is a huge cultural gap between the generations of people that were active during the war and those that came after. Both generations are Japanese, but the latter was brought up in America’s shadow, whereas the elders are truly Japanese. In Japanese culture, surrendering was a great shame, in fact the Japanese would charge machine gun lines and get mowed down to preserve their honor, but after the war, the younger generations saw this as a waste of life and resented their losses in the war. The younger generations basically became westernized, while the elders held a grudge.
An example of such grudge is seen when Ichiro is pretending to be a cowboy and Oji asks him if it wouldn’t be more enjoyable to pretend to be a Japanese warrior. Oji doesn’t reprimand Ichiro, but it does appear that he isn’t pleased with his nephew’s fascination with western culture. Oji even tries to distract Ichiro from playing cowboy by having him draw, however this fails and Ichiro is soon galloping away.
Another instance that shows hesitation in being connected to the past arises again when Oji seeks out his old acquaintances to ask them to watch their words if they are ever approached by a detective in regard to his past. Things that might have been considered honorable and brought pride in the past only bring shame in the present.
The bridge of hesitation leads to the wrecked heart of Japanese patriotism, however, so soon after the war, people have mixed feelings and hesitate to remember the past because all that exists in the past is pain. Aside from this, if you take a look at the way the younger people feel about the war and their opinions of their elders, it is easy to see why some might be hesitant to show their true colors.
The Patriotic Artist
Being introduced to Japan in 1948 during the after-affect of the Second World War through the eyes of Masuji Ono, an elite artist, I began to question: what does the war have to do with the overall theme of an artist living in a floating world? Three different aspects from Ono’s life helped me answer that question in which we will see.
As Ono takes us down his time-line to when he was an adolescent receiving business meetings from his father, it’s evident that he inherited his philosophy of the way one must show respect to his elders, and how one must live with dignity from his father’s strict manner. Then as Ono gets older he tells his mother, “I have no wish to find myself in years to come, sitting where Father is now, telling my own son…I wish to rise above such a life”(47). I found this interesting because it takes a soldier to go against his parent’s will being raised in a strict household. I bring this aspect up because after reading this, I recognized the uniqueness and courage of Ono to say such a thing and actually go through with it. I knew from there I would be reading something that would include how Ono would change things in Japan some way. Then once it was obvious that Ono was an artist, I knew he would change Japan with his art and heart of a lion.
Later into the reading when it talked about Ono’s favorite bar the Migi-Hidari, which was back then known as Yagmata’s, and how it gained it’s name from an old veteran soldier, I knew it would have something to do with the how the war tied into the theme of an artist living in a floating world. Ono spoke of this place not possessing “the new spirit of Japan” (64) in which he described as something that beholds loyalty to Communism and the authorities controlling everything. I conclude this because the authorities were trying to run things in Japan and Ono believes that everywhere else possessed this “new spirit” except the Migi-Hidari where as Ono told us, “one could get drunk with pride and dignity” (74). He also told us that this bar was one where only elite artists would gather and converse and use their paintings such as, “The Patriotic Spirit,” (74) as a form of combat to the communism going on in Japan which was before the war. From this Migi-Hidari being “a proud and respectable atmosphere” (75), I see it that these artist are playing the role that soldiers would for earning their county’s independence, but they are fighting for the way they think things should be in Japan, therefore they are patriotic artists in my book.
Another aspect of my finding to how the war ties to artist living in a floating world relates to when Ono worked for his first firm and why he decided to leave to work for the painter and print maker Seiji Moriyama. While Ono worked for Master Takeda’s firm as an artist, he soon was fed up with the “unhappy working conditions” (65) and disloyalty going on in the firm so he decided to leave. I saw this as a patriotic move on his behalf because after he explained to Tortoise what he had learned from working at the firm. Ono told Tortoise while he was strolling around on Tamagawa grounds, “While it was right to look up teachers, it was important to question their authority… To rise above the undesirable and decadent influences that have swamped us and have done so much to weaken the fibre of our nation these past ten years” (73).
With all of theses aspects of Ono’s life, I find it that the war symbolizes what Ono is trying to do as an artist floating in the world not holding his own two feet on the ground, and is literally connected to why the war got started which I believe awaits us later in the novel.
Ishiguro, Kazuo. An Artist Of The Floating World. New York Vintage international:1989
As Ono takes us down his time-line to when he was an adolescent receiving business meetings from his father, it’s evident that he inherited his philosophy of the way one must show respect to his elders, and how one must live with dignity from his father’s strict manner. Then as Ono gets older he tells his mother, “I have no wish to find myself in years to come, sitting where Father is now, telling my own son…I wish to rise above such a life”(47). I found this interesting because it takes a soldier to go against his parent’s will being raised in a strict household. I bring this aspect up because after reading this, I recognized the uniqueness and courage of Ono to say such a thing and actually go through with it. I knew from there I would be reading something that would include how Ono would change things in Japan some way. Then once it was obvious that Ono was an artist, I knew he would change Japan with his art and heart of a lion.
Later into the reading when it talked about Ono’s favorite bar the Migi-Hidari, which was back then known as Yagmata’s, and how it gained it’s name from an old veteran soldier, I knew it would have something to do with the how the war tied into the theme of an artist living in a floating world. Ono spoke of this place not possessing “the new spirit of Japan” (64) in which he described as something that beholds loyalty to Communism and the authorities controlling everything. I conclude this because the authorities were trying to run things in Japan and Ono believes that everywhere else possessed this “new spirit” except the Migi-Hidari where as Ono told us, “one could get drunk with pride and dignity” (74). He also told us that this bar was one where only elite artists would gather and converse and use their paintings such as, “The Patriotic Spirit,” (74) as a form of combat to the communism going on in Japan which was before the war. From this Migi-Hidari being “a proud and respectable atmosphere” (75), I see it that these artist are playing the role that soldiers would for earning their county’s independence, but they are fighting for the way they think things should be in Japan, therefore they are patriotic artists in my book.
Another aspect of my finding to how the war ties to artist living in a floating world relates to when Ono worked for his first firm and why he decided to leave to work for the painter and print maker Seiji Moriyama. While Ono worked for Master Takeda’s firm as an artist, he soon was fed up with the “unhappy working conditions” (65) and disloyalty going on in the firm so he decided to leave. I saw this as a patriotic move on his behalf because after he explained to Tortoise what he had learned from working at the firm. Ono told Tortoise while he was strolling around on Tamagawa grounds, “While it was right to look up teachers, it was important to question their authority… To rise above the undesirable and decadent influences that have swamped us and have done so much to weaken the fibre of our nation these past ten years” (73).
With all of theses aspects of Ono’s life, I find it that the war symbolizes what Ono is trying to do as an artist floating in the world not holding his own two feet on the ground, and is literally connected to why the war got started which I believe awaits us later in the novel.
Ishiguro, Kazuo. An Artist Of The Floating World. New York Vintage international:1989
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