From the beginning of the novel, we are given the impression that Ono is a humble artist who made a mistake and has been chewed out by the rest of society for it though they once admired him. However Ono is a senile old man who thinks too highly of himself and is arrogant enough to try and shoulder the blame for leading Japan into war. Through out the novel, it seems that Ono is outcast by society because of his patriotism during the war when in reality he is the one excluding himself from the world.
At one point in his life, Ono believed in the emperor and what he stood for. He believed in a strong Japan that would rise against its fat bureaucrats and prosper. However, before all of this, Ono was a mere artist of a “floating world” of entertainment and pleasure. While working under Mori Ono was content with living a life of indulgence without a care for the world, as Matsuda puts it at the end of the novel Ono had a “narrow artist's perspective” (199). It was Matsuda that turned Ono on to the idea of a corrupt and disgraced Japan that needed to be fixed. It was with the “Eyes to the Horizon” Ono finally embarked down his path to patriotism and stepped out of the floating world. The idea of a new Japan was impressed onto Ono in such a way that he saw it as his own, but when he lost his wife and son to the war, Ono could not help but feel responsible for their deaths because it was similar opinions to his that led to the war in the first place.
This feeling of guilt then ate Ono from the inside and eventually clawed itself to manifest in the real world. Ono feels guilty for the loss of his family and for that reason, he can't help but feel uncomfortable when he sees that his wife and son died in vain. Kenji died in Manchuria, trying to extend Japan's reach, Michiko died as a result of the war, both were the result of ideals that Ono believed in and that is why he feels as if he played a major part in everything that happened.
It seems that this feeling of guilt then drives Ono mad. He sees hate in the eyes of the new generation because he hates himself for supporting the movement that took everything from him. However, Ono can't bring himself to admit his self loathing, his pride won't allow it. Instead, Ono projects his attitude to the people around him. I didn't begin to realize this until Ono mentioned his conversation with Setsuko on pages 192 and 193. How can it be that Setsuko cannot recollect the conversation in which she warned her father of the past when we are given such a vivid account of it? The only answer that I can think of is that said conversation never happened anywhere outside of Ono. When reading the novel, we must keep in mind that everything is being filtered by Ono so it is entirely possible that the events he describes aren't completely accurate he himself even acknowledges this on several occasions. To me all of the pardons on Ono's behalf for digressing and for the accuracy of his words is a clear hint by Ishiguro that Ono might suffer some kind of memory loss and that we should not trust him, since he himself can't remember the events that influenced his life. On page 193 Setsuko even tells Ono, “no one has ever considered Father's past something to view with recrimination.” Yet earlier on in the novel, Setsuko is hell bent on reprimanding her father.
It is entirely possible that Ono's subconscious caused him to imagine such a conversation with Setsuko to help him come to grips with his feelings. By having someone else blame him, Ono can force himself to justify himself. The miai also gives Ono the excuse he needs to come clean with himself and admit his mistakes. Indeed, the family does seem awkward when Ono begins his rantings and his daughters comment on this later on, though it doesn't seem so to Ono. In fact, in Ono's eyes, it wasn't until his confession that the miai took a turn for the best. It's funny how no one else remembers it that way.
Matsuda, who in a way forced Ono to become involved with the new Japan, admits that they never played a crucial part in the whole ordeal. It was the Army officers, politicians, and businessmen that the people followed not a simple artist.
These two instances just caused me to think that Ono didn't play a big a role as he would have us believe and that the most important aspects of the novel are coping mechanisms for Ono to deal with the loss of life in his family. However, at the end, Ono finally crosses the bridge of hesitation and decides to move on with his life for had it not been for the war and the occupation of Japan who knows what would have happened to the small nation.
Well I have to end this somewhere, and this might not have made sense but it was just something that I thought about.
Showing posts with label An artist of the floating world. Show all posts
Showing posts with label An artist of the floating world. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Friday, February 4, 2011
The Artist
Who are the artists of the Floating World? Browsing through the internet I came across the term "Geisha". What's a Geisha you may ask, well they are men, women who for a living train to be entertainers. Meaning they spent every waken moment perfecting their dancing, music and poetry skills. They keep Japanese culture alive and that's what makes Japan so prideful. So why then do we read in Kazuo Ishiguro's An Artist Of The Floating World of businessmen and other common folk harbor disdain for an artist?
Ono's own father did not approve his choice of hobby and so tried bashing his dream by saying,
"Artists' live in squalor and poverty. They inhabit a world which gives them every temptation to become weak-willed and depraved. "(46). Why at this given moment? Ono is someone who wants to live his life for himself by escaping into the mystery and fantasy that's art. Maybe Ono's dad knows this but doesn't want his only male son to put the family name in shame by becoming a no-name artist. Imagine how people would treat Ono's family if he painted something so radical and the Japanese didn't like it? Surely they would be shun from society and seen as lowly people.
There's no shame however in being an artist. In fact it's probably the hardest profession there can be because the past, present and future of Japan is in their hands. Ono has so much to offer that what he paints will have an impact in Japanese culture. And as we know he does and because of that he's know reminiscing and thinking of all the people he knew before the war.
We understand that before he could become a "real artist" he worked for a commercial company that made "Japanese Art" .
"Japanese Culture - Geisha." Japan-Zone.com - Japan Travel Guide, Japanese Pop Culture, History, Japanese Girls, Japanese Guys. 1999-. Web. 04 Feb. 2011..
Ono's own father did not approve his choice of hobby and so tried bashing his dream by saying,
"Artists' live in squalor and poverty. They inhabit a world which gives them every temptation to become weak-willed and depraved. "(46). Why at this given moment? Ono is someone who wants to live his life for himself by escaping into the mystery and fantasy that's art. Maybe Ono's dad knows this but doesn't want his only male son to put the family name in shame by becoming a no-name artist. Imagine how people would treat Ono's family if he painted something so radical and the Japanese didn't like it? Surely they would be shun from society and seen as lowly people.
There's no shame however in being an artist. In fact it's probably the hardest profession there can be because the past, present and future of Japan is in their hands. Ono has so much to offer that what he paints will have an impact in Japanese culture. And as we know he does and because of that he's know reminiscing and thinking of all the people he knew before the war.
We understand that before he could become a "real artist" he worked for a commercial company that made "Japanese Art" .
"Japanese Culture - Geisha." Japan-Zone.com - Japan Travel Guide, Japanese Pop Culture, History, Japanese Girls, Japanese Guys. 1999-. Web. 04 Feb. 2011.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
The Generation Gap
Ono believes that there is a difference in the postwar generation. A difference in the way they see and understand things. zthey don't see things as they really are, but differently. Is this true?
In the second section of "An Artist of The Floating World" Ono goes to visit Kuroda. He makes this visit in an effort to clear up any misunderstanding they may have had in the past and make sure Kuroda doesn't sat anything about Ono's past that may jeopardize Noriko's marriage negotiations. Upon his arrival Ono is greeted by a young man, Kuroda's pupil, Enchi. Enchi assumes Ono is one of Kuroda's associates so initially he is very polite and welcoming, but when he finds out exactly who Ono is he changes. Ono says, "Until this point the young man had managed to maintain a polite tone in his voice, but now he seemed to lose his self control" (113). Enchi's voice changes and he is in this mood of disgust. From the things that Kuroda has shared with him about Ono the young man has no respect for Ono. Enchi accuses him of being a traitor and blames Ono for Kuroda being thrown in jail and all of the abuses he suffered while there. Ono says to him, "Young men of your generation tend to see things far too simply", (113).This angers Enchi and he responds even more forceful than before. Enchi believes that he knows exactly what happened and understood well enough.
In the second section of "An Artist of The Floating World" Ono goes to visit Kuroda. He makes this visit in an effort to clear up any misunderstanding they may have had in the past and make sure Kuroda doesn't sat anything about Ono's past that may jeopardize Noriko's marriage negotiations. Upon his arrival Ono is greeted by a young man, Kuroda's pupil, Enchi. Enchi assumes Ono is one of Kuroda's associates so initially he is very polite and welcoming, but when he finds out exactly who Ono is he changes. Ono says, "Until this point the young man had managed to maintain a polite tone in his voice, but now he seemed to lose his self control" (113). Enchi's voice changes and he is in this mood of disgust. From the things that Kuroda has shared with him about Ono the young man has no respect for Ono. Enchi accuses him of being a traitor and blames Ono for Kuroda being thrown in jail and all of the abuses he suffered while there. Ono says to him, "Young men of your generation tend to see things far too simply", (113).This angers Enchi and he responds even more forceful than before. Enchi believes that he knows exactly what happened and understood well enough.
Is it that Enchi sees thing too simply or is it that Ono simply doesn't understand the severity of the things that he did that may have caused Kuroda's imprisionment? This doesn't seem to be at all the case when one attempts to write Kuroda a letter and in Kuroda's response he say that he doesn't want anything to xo with Ono. This shows me that maybe the problem isn't with the younger generation at all. The problem is with Ono and has always been with Ono. The things that Hensley during the war were things that were considered in bad judgement at the time. Ono knew that but still he did them and had his pupils do it too.
In how own eyes Ono is right but to the people around him not so much. Shintaro, another of his pupils even came to him seeking a disclaimer to posters they had produced during he war. Ono refused to honor this request because he believed, as he later said, that a man should take responsibilty for things he has done in the past. So my question to you is: where do you think the difference lies, in the younger generation or in Ono?
In how own eyes Ono is right but to the people around him not so much. Shintaro, another of his pupils even came to him seeking a disclaimer to posters they had produced during he war. Ono refused to honor this request because he believed, as he later said, that a man should take responsibilty for things he has done in the past. So my question to you is: where do you think the difference lies, in the younger generation or in Ono?
Ishiguro, Kazuo. An Artist of The Floating World. New York, NY: Vintage Books, 1986. Print
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Ono's Description of Setting
One thing that makes the book very detailed and interesting is the fact that we can see the setting where things take place. Why does the Ishiguro give so much detail about the setting?
In almost every scene that he describes he always gives a lot of detail about the setting. The very first scene in the book is a description of Ono’s house and the garden.
He also starts April 1949 with a description of nature. “Clusters of new houses have appeared towards the foot of the hill down which I have just come. And further along the riverbank, where a year ago there was only grass and mud, a city corporation is building apartment blocks for future employees” (99).
He also gives a very detailed description of Kuroda’s home. “Kuroda did not live in a good quarter. I walked for some time through little alleys filled with dilapidated lodging houses before coming to a concrete square resembling the forecourt of a factory” (109).
He even gives a detailed description on page 116 of the Kasuga Park Hotel (the place where Noriko had her miai). It is very interesting that they are having a very special Japanese ceremony in a place that has been influenced by western style.
He also gives a very detailed description of Kawabe Park.
In the beginning his describes his house because it is a place of great importance to him. He describes Kuroda’s home because it was a time where he was rejected by a pupil. He describes Noriko’s miai because a daughter’s wedding ceremony is very important to a father. Kawabe Park also has had a huge impact on his life.
I think that Ishiguro gives detailed description of several places because they are all of the places that have strongly impacted Ono’s life. I thought of it as a visual experience. Ono is an artist. He is a visual person. He will obviously describe with detail the setting to the places that have had major impacts in his life.
Ishiguro, Kazuo. An Artist of the Floating World. New York. Vintage International. 1989.
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.
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....
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?
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?
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