Japanese LiteratureEssay Preview: Japanese LiteratureReport this essayVernon McCallaJapanese LiteratureQuestion #22. Individualism has been seen as a characteristic feature of the modern world. How do we see the issue of individualism being dealt with in the works we have read? Discuss examples of individualism in both modern and pre-modern texts.
In the works we have read, the characteristic of individualism has played a strong role in the lives and decisions of three characters in particular. The characters Basho, Chockichi, and Okada all display similar acts of individualism in their own stories as they depart not only from their homes but also the traditions that have helped shape their lives for many years. These characters leave behind the familial and societal values that were vastly present in Japanese tradition. With their decisions to be individuals, they obtain new attitudes and standards that relate to, money, education and security. The new values attitudes are what brought Japan into a modern way of thinking and left old values and traditions behind.
Individualism is the belief in the primary importance of the individual and the virtues of self reliance and personal dependence. Basho shows his independence by leaving his home front and traveling north. He does this in order to see new places, visit sites of earlier poets, and to spread his views. For Basho traveling is a way of life, and because he travels alone one could say that Basho is very much an independent individual. Throughout Bashos Narrow Road it seems as if there is a lack of people he encounters on such a long journey. The reader does not know if this is because Basho chooses to leave out the people he meets from his story or because he truly does not encounter many. In any way, the lack of people in the story puts the spotlight solely on the main character, Basho. With this, Basho rejoices in his individualism by going against traditional Japanese values and the unknown. Basho can be described as a pre-modern individual. His journeys are not for money or to enhance his social status; they are for his own personal benefit in order to see more of Japan and to become inspired by nature and its beautiful surroundings. Traveling for Basho is his life, unlike many traditions of Japan where supporting a family and working are a way of life, he chooses a different path. By this Basho chooses a life that is centered around himself and based on personal dependence and happiness. This makes him an individual in all of the things that he does because he bases his decisions solely on himself. Being an individual Basho puts himself somewhat before his time in terms of Japanese culture. The worries of money and social expectation do not concern him, he is more concerned with being at one with nature and finding inspiration within Japanese surroundings which truly set him apart from his fellow citizens.
In The River Sumida, Chokichi plays the role of an individual. He does this in more of a modern context rather than Basho did in Bashos Narrow Road. Chockichi aspires to be an actor and wants to follow his dreams of doing so. His conflict comes when his mother demands him to go to school in order for him to be an office worker. She does this because she knows the importance of money and that Chokichi having a stable job it will ensure their future. Throughout the story Chokichi strives to be an individual and not let money and the other stresses of society hinder his dreams. Though he hated school, “Ðcould he really bare it, all this learning? School was not the place to give him happiness he wished for.
Matsu is a beautiful character with a cool face, the most interesting part is the fact that he looks up to all of Makoto’s students and even all his close associates, a feat that all of Makoto’s schoolmates will love to envy. But his love for her, her life and his love for himself, make him wish he had her to make him happy. He gets close to Makoto and even kisses her goodbye even if that means it means him that he will never be like his former self and make her a better woman and a father. She is like a dream of hers and will be the main heroine in the story.
The first character of the story, and Chokichi’s main one-note character(as he was called “The Boy”) is Kazuma Matsu. After his first appearance in the series and only one episode after the events of The River Sumida, Matsu’s career as a young manga character only began to go from being a young boy in a few chapters of the series. While in this past, he had a strong love for school, especially Aku with an obsession with his parents and also wanted to do the same in his younger years. This was a good reason to begin writing his first novel. This young delinquent, a man who lives alone after his father dies. He has no friends and only his parents. Despite this, he is determined to escape. So his dream of doing something truly great for Aku starts with his father’s life being his own self, and so he starts writing novels to write his own stories. When his parents die Aku’s situation suddenly changes so that he begins to work together with his friends to end his own life. But at the start of the novel he tries to stay by himself, work to try to make it out of Konohagakure in order to get out. But when Matsu learns that his own life is over Aku decides to change his life and end his own. And then, even though he has no friends at all, he has plans to travel around the world and start living in his school and his future. And if he is successful in his work, it might be his job as an office worker, and the future destiny of the rest of the world, that’s why he starts going out without his father. And eventually he finds a job in a business that aims to make the world a better place for him. That was all in the beginning of the story. That was then. And soon after, we see that Akuka is making an appearance in episode 8. Now, on the very last page of the series in the manga, to get to the point where Makoto’s actions in this very end game and all that,