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.
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Perhaps you could include the three scenes that mention the Bridge of Hesitation and go through how each contributes to your main idea. You clearly put your ideas out there for us in terms of context so it shouldn't be hard to explain how they work in the text itself. For example: In the opening paragraph the bridge is mentioned. Why is it there? Does it give us any incite about your point? Etc...
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with your perspective on how the elders saw the younger generation as shameful due to their western influences that soon changed the way life came about in Japan. Also, the younger generation resented the elders, for their deliberate anxiety to attack and fight, when the people dying weren't their generation, but rather young men to preserve Japan from defeat and dishonor. It has come up many times, but perhaps the Bridge of hesitation can be tied into Ono's next step towards moving forward with his life. Since the defeat of Japan brought the culture to a halt and everything seemed to be ruined and desolate, it's perhaps a path that can lead Ono to forget about the past experiences and move on and not look back. Hesitation is something that can also be tied t Japan. It was choked by its American counterparts. While the Us thrived and became a superpower, Japan stayed in place, without being able to budge forward or backward, making it harder on its citizens and economy. With such destruction, the Japanese might've felt hopeless, up to the point where you mentioned that even Ichiro's generation might not grow up to be prideful Japanese, but instead Japanese people accustomed to Western customs, since the Japanese patriotism is done with.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing I wonder about the "Bridge of Hesitation" is when was it named? Was it named before the war or after?
ReplyDeleteBut, if we go with your theory, I would say that the first paragraph was written to show the doubt that the narrator (Ono) has about his place at the present Japanese society. Ono goes on to describe,
"Even if it did not occupy such a commanding position on the hill, the house would still stand out from all others nearby, so that as you come up the path, you may find yourself wondering what sort of wealthy man owns it." (Ishiguro 7)
This immediately can make one think that he is an important person because his house out of all the others stand out. His house had a commanding presence among all and this is what he is hesitating with in the story. He is troubled by the new generation that are bitter with the older generation. The older generation does not understand the convictions that the elder. This bride represents his struggle to maintain the conviction to his past work and understand that he might have made a mistake.