Daysha-anne Arthur
JPNS 365
MW 4:30-4:45
Dr. Yoshiko Fukushima
The War Within:
A Critical Analysis of “A Wild Sheep Chase” by Haruki Murakami
Haruki Murakami (b.1949), who is known for his fictional literary works, is often praised for his ability to seamlessly merge the everyday social norms of modern life and society with that of reverie and fantasy. Though not explicitly a political writer, Murakami takes his readers on an interpersonal journey where aspects of life, culture, and society are poked and prodded with a mental spear. In this critical review of Haruki Murakami's third novel A Wild Sheep Chase, I will conduct an analysis of the conflicting Japanese post war identity during the 1970's, -exemplified by the plot and characters- as well as discuss the political subconscious behind the literary plot and how war is used as an influence.
Japanese Identity: Post-War
As the story begins, we are introduced to the day of November 25th 1970. The significance of the date is later to be revealed as the day of Yukio Mishima’s seppuku (ritual suicide). In the aftermath of Japan’s defeat in World War II, Mishima felt disgust and disdain towards the growing westernization of Japan, and the deterioration of Japanese traditions and nationalism. To protest the nationalist decay of Japan and the thralldom to the west, Mishima along with four other individuals invaded the lieutenant of Japan’s Self-Defense office. Before tying the lieutenant down to a chair, Mishima instructed the lieutenant to call about his fleet of soldiers to hear Mishima speak. Mishima appeared on the balcony in front of thousands of Japanese soldiers and recited a declamation for the revival of the samurai spirit that was taken away from them by the humil...
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...e power that the Boss holds is similar to that of an emperor who governs his empire.
When the king dies, the kingdom crumbles. The kingdom, you see, was built and maintained on this one man’s genius. Which in my estimation is to say it was built and sustained by that mysterious factor. If the Boss dies, it means the end of everything…
There is no one to take over after the Boss. (Murakami 140)
The Strange Man acts as a servant to the king, and can be compared to a samurai trying to defend its kingdom. This goes back to the influence of Mishima and his fight for the Japanese empire and his king, Emperor Shōwa. Though the reasons between Mishima and the Strange Man’s fight are entirely different, the defending of their kingdom its foundation is the same.
Political Influence: The Sheep Professor
As the tale unfolds, we are introduced to the Sheep Professor, who
The abundant animal imagery in Timothy Findley's book The Wars is used to develop characterization and theme. The protagonist, Robert Ross, has a deep connection with animals that reflects his personality and the situations that he faces. This link between Robert and the animals shows the reader that human nature is not much different than animal nature.
Hiroko Takenishi used the framework of a fictional story to tell of a real life tragedy. As mentioned before, this may have been done to create distance from the writer and her painful memories. This story was a creative and interesting way of allowing others to experience the devastation felt by those who lived through this crises. At the same time it makes clear the suffering and injustice that was inflicted on innocent lives, and the senseless evils of war.
Joseph Conlans “State of War; The Violent Order of Fourteenth Century Japan” is an depth look at Japans emerging warrior class during a time period of constant warfare in Medieval Japan. His work however doesn’t revolve around the re-fabrication and in-depth analysis of battles sieged like many contemporary examinations of wars and battles won and lost. Instead the author vies to navigate the reader on journey into the warrior class’s lives and how they evolved through a statistical analysis of records. This illustrates how warfare changed and transformed with the constant evolving of the Samurai, but it also includes how their actions affected their Political environment as well as the society in which they dwelled from the bottom up. Through his survey of records and documents, Conlan is able to give readers a compelling look into the Warrior class and at times shatters in the process many of the pre-conceived general notions that one may hold about this ancient class of professional warriors. Many of the notions & common misconceptions debunked in this scholarly piece include the idea that the Samurai was a male only fraternity, reserved for those of impeccable candor and loyalty. When truth be known, woman and young men (boys) were also trained in the art of war and thus were as likely to be found on the battle fields as men when times were tough and solider numbers were depleted. Further, another misconception (Generally thought to be caused by the popular and well known; “The Bushido Code: The Eight Virtues of the Samurai”) of the warrior class is that all of these men were truly Samurai which translated to “one who serves” when really, loyalty for the warrior class as Conlan points out only went as far as ones right to ...
Throughout history artists have used art as a means to reflect the on goings of the society surrounding them. Many times, novels serve as primary sources in the future for students to reflect on past history. Students can successfully use novels as a source of understanding past events. Different sentiments and points of views within novels serve as the information one may use to reflect on these events. Natsume Soseki’s novel Kokoro successfully encapsulates much of what has been discussed in class, parallels with the events in Japan at the time the novel takes place, and serves as a social commentary to describe these events in Japan at the time of the Mejeii Restoration and beyond. Therefore, Kokoro successfully serves as a primary source students may use to enable them to understand institutions like conflicting views Whites by the Japanese, the role of women, and the population’s analysis of the Emperor.
Although wildly different in subject matter and style, Kawabata’s Beauty and Sadness and Murakami’s Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World both show how Japan has been internationalized as well as how it has remained traditional. Kawabata’s novel is traditional and acceptable, much like the haiku poetry he imitates, but has a thread of rebelliousness and modernity running through the web that binds the characters together. Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World is devastatingly modern, and yet has a similar but opposite undertone of old Japan, or at least a nostalgia for old Japan. In both novels a more international culture has taken root in Japan, and it seems that the characters both embrace and run from the implications of a globalized, hybridized culture.
...hold absolute power but is equally controlled by the actions of the people as they are considered to be a servant for the people.
Much about Kogawa's novel makes it difficult not only to read but also to classify or categorize. First, Obasan blurs the line between nonfiction and fiction. Kogawa draws from actual letters and newspaper accounts, autobiographical details, and historical facts throughout the novel, but she artistically incorporates this material into a clearly fictional work. In addition, Kogawa's narrative operates on multiple levels, from the individual and familial to the communal, national, political, and spiritual. Stylistically, the novel moves easily between the language of documentary reportage and a richly metaphorical language, and between straightforward narrative and stream-ofconsciousness exposition. This astonishing variety in Kogawa's novel can, at times, become bewildering and unsettling to the reader. But as many readers and critics have noted, Kogawa's style and method in Obasan also constitute the novel's unique strength. Kogawa writes in such a way that ambiguity, uncertainty, irony, and paradox do not weaken her story but instead paradoxically become the keys to understanding it.
Throughout the story he seems to find countless ways to continue baffling his peers. Whether it be from his exciting stories or heroic actions, the sky is the limit for him. He is driven by intrinsic motivation, compelling him to constantly challenge himself and transcend to new heights. This motivation can be seen as both a blessing and a curse. Resulting in his rise to the throne, and demise as king.
The leader is in complete control, taking charge of everything, and holding the key to success.
When a private individual becomes a ruler, he will need both his inner skills and a good chance to show them. The relationship of fortune and the virtù will bring him the success. Without a chance, the skills will not find a way to show them while gaining the power, and without the skills, given chance can not be used effectively for a long time.
Leaders of nations are designated to manage to country in a form that will allow all its aspects to run smoothly. The Ottoman and Qing had a crisis of power; all the officials took advantage of their titles. Both nations had a set system of taxes that were collected by the leaders of each county or area of the nation. In the Ottoman Empire the Janissaries and some nobles collect taxes from the citizens they had power over, yet those taxes collected were reserved for their own spending instead of helping the countries debt and military advancements. While in china a similar problem became evident, the farmers of china began to...
...ile the war is still happening. The lack of freedom and human rights can cause people to have a sad life. Their identity, personality, and dignity will be vanish after their freedom and human right are taking away. This is a action which shows America’s inhuman ideas. It is understandable that war prison should be put into jail and take away their rights; but Japanese-American citizen have nothing to do with the war. American chooses to treat Jap-American citizen as a war prisoner, then it is not fair to them because they have rights to stay whatever side they choose and they can choose what ever region they want. Therefore, Otasuka’s novel telling the readers a lesson of how important it is for people to have their rights and freedom with them. People should cherish these two things; if not, they will going to regret it.
Yukio Mishima’s Temple of the Golden Pavilion represents the hardships, evil, and rebirth throughout the timeline of the war and after, creating the individual experience and perspective of a young man fighting his own personal, internal wars. This is highlighted through first person accounts of brutal acts of military officials and the contrast of the beauty in
In every direction the sea rages and growls, tumbling its inhabitants in an ever-lasting rumble. Glory, honor, and duty are washed upon the glimmering golden shores of the Japanese empire. The sturdy land-bearers clasp hands with those thrown into the savage arms of the ocean. This junction of disparate milieus forms the basis of an interlocking relationship that ties conflicting elements and motifs to paint a coherent, lucid final picture. In The Sailor Who Fell From Grace with the Sea, Mishima incorporates the impact of contradictory settings of land and sea, combative ideologies of the Western and Eastern hemispheres, and inherent dissimilarities amongst the characters’ lifestyles in order to reinforce the discrepancy between his ideal Japan and the country he observed.
Krakauer said “McCandless change his name, gave the entire balance of a 24 thousand-dollar saving account to charity, abandoned his car and most of his possessions, burned all the cash in his pocket” (Author’s note). Family is an important factor in everyone’s life; apparently that was not enough for Christopher McCandless. I have been fortunate to live with my family my whole life.