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.
I agree that having an auction of prestige is the best way because it gives people an opurtunity like you havd mentioned. The down side is that those that are making a change wont have an equal chance because their past is shady. Now as to why the author tell us how the house was auctioned and how Ono received the house. This can even be looked at as honorable because if someone is able to receive a house because of all the good things they have done with out a shady past means that they have been going down the right path an honorable path. Well atleast i believe this I dont know if anyone else believes this.
ReplyDeleteBrenda you are right this could be argued from both sides, but where I'm looking from there is no argument in this case/situation. We are dealing with a family and private property, what other people think about the way they go about selling it means nothing. Sugimura's dying wish was that his house go to someone who was worthy of it. His reputation was one of prestige according to Ono, so he had the influence to make this decision about the way he would sell his house and have no one challenge. He is entitled to a choice when it comes down to his personal property. No one has a right to argue otherwise because their argument have no power or affect on this decision.
ReplyDelete