Kokoro and the Parallels of Historical Events

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Recommended: How art played a role in history

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. Kokoro opens with the depiction of a White man by the narrator. The narrator discusses the Westerner as a non-threatening individual who was swimming with his Sensei. He described the Westerner as wearing Japanese clothing, acting in taking cues and acting as Sensei does, swimming among other Japanese people. The narrator does not describe himself as being frightened or threatened, yet he feels overcome with a feeling of thinking this particular Westerner was “quite extraordinary.” (Soseki 1957, p. 4). This is in stark contrast of many of the early depictions of Westerners. For example as Duus describes Japanese individuals as referring to Westerners as “red-haired barbarians.” This also was described in class discussions as we viewed paintings by Japanese individuals who demonized Westerners and made them lo... ... middle of paper ... ...e 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. As one can see, a novel can serve as a primary source which students can use to dissect and examine real historical events, even if the novel is fiction. Kokoro successfully does this and assists students in understanding the Meiji Restoration and the time surrounding this era in Japan. Works Cited Duus, Peter. Modern Japan. Second Edtion. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1998. Sievers, Sharon L. Flowers in Salt - The Beginnings of Femenist Consciousness in Modern Japan. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1983. Soseki, Natsume. Kokoro. Washington, D.C.: Regnery Publishing Inc., 1957.

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