Mentors and Family

Teachers have a great impact on his students whether it is teaching about a certain subject or about life. They are the ones who bring about the best in others and through dedication make students understand, but also admire such people. There’s always that one person that provides more than just a student-teacher relationship. They teach not only from what they are supposed to teach, but also from their own experiences. They make a lesson more than just a boring class. They make the world seem real.
It’s weird how people can inherit thing from other people without being a relative or just a mere acquaintance. Mentors, as well as teachers, provide comfort and wise advice that are beneficial to his students. It isn’t only that mentors teach people, but create an atmosphere in which the pupils admire and try to imitate. Such people are there to enhance the learning of others and see to it that they not only carry with them their teachings, but also to leave a mark in his pupil’s lives that’ll forever change their perspective on things. Ono makes it precise when he says, “ Certain traits will tend to survive, like some shadow of that influence, to remain with one throughout one’s life” (137). It just shows how teachers influence their students through the simplest things. It may depend on how the teacher or mentor teach, but also their characteristics and behavior in and out of classrooms. Students in turn, try to inherit the way a teacher acts or even talks. This “resemblance” just shows that teachers are inspirational and motivate his students to persevere.
Also, Ono makes a comparison between his grandson Ichiro and his son Kenji stating, “ I confess I take a strange comfort from observing children inherit these resemblances from other members of the family…” (136). Ono’s quote can be compared how people inherit certain traits fro their mentors/teachers. From gaining the ability to speak, walk, teach, or even act are all “traits “ that are not inherited through a transformation of the pupil trying to convince himself that he can be similar. While children gain physical traits from family members, pupils gain internal traits that change their way of thinking and are determined to stick to the philosophy of their teachers in a way that they were taught. With all this students’ gain an advantage and a confidence that lead them to do well in whatever they are doing.

Kazuo, Ishiguro. An Artist of the Floating World. New York, NY: Vintage Books. 1989. Print.

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.