Perspectivism in the Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea

sThe Sailor who Fell from Grace with the Sea is a daunting, interesting read that brings forth philosophical questions of solipsism, perspectivism, and the objectivity of reality.

MISHIMA:

A quick background on the author: Yukio Mishima is the pen name of Kimitake Hiraoka, a Japanese author born in 1925. This was of course the same year Mussolini took power, giving Mishima a raising during the second great war. His father was a bureaucrat who held strong militaristic beliefs. His grandmother took him away from his immediate family until he was twelve years old. His father would use his militaristic beliefs in the raising of his son, holding him up to speeding trains, and randomly searching his room for anything he deemed to be feminine, such as literary works, ripping them up if he found them. Although his father was very stern in his masculine approach to his upbringing, his grandmother, who raised him for a good portion of his childhood, did not allow him to play with other boys, participate in sports, or go into the sunlight. He spent most of his time while with his grandmother either alone or with female companions.

Mishima began to write at the early age of 12, entering in various poetry competitions. His father forbid him to participate in these "non-masculine" activities, but Mishima continued to write in secret. He shifted his writing style to prose only after his works in waka style poetry.

Mishima was drafted for the army during WWII, but had a cold and lied about symptoms of TB, so he didn't have to fight in the war. He attended Tokyo University, writing in secret every night supported by his mother, presenting each new story to her first.

Mishima's later life was devoted to arts of self dicipline. He studied the traditional Samurai code, practiced weight lifting, and mastered the martial art form of kendo. He believed in mind over body ideals, and is famous for his act of seppuku, a traditional Samurai suicide.

Mishima was probably a homosexual, as numerous people have claimed to have had homosexual relations with him during his life, and he had been reported to visit gay bars.

Enough about his life, you can read more about that elsewhere. Just remember some of the key parts of his life to understand the ideas presented in this book

SUMMARY:

A twelve year old boy named Nurobo Kuroda lives alone with his mother Fusaku Kuroda. His mother owns a boutique shop, selling antiques and whatnot. Nurobo considers himself to be a genius, presenting Mishimas first contradicting idea of solipsism. Nurobo is part of a gang of young boys who consider themselves to be "Objectionists" denying a subjective reality, especially in view of adults-dismissing them as fake and elusive. They believe that human sentiments are fake, and practice this in brutal ways such as the brutal killings of cats. Ryuji Tsukazaki is a lone sailor who randomly visits the port where the Kuroda's shop is. He is lonely and idealises himself, thinking that he is destined for something great. He often gets lost in his own thoughts, making himself oblivious to should-be obvious events around him. Ryuji meets Fusaku and begins to court her. Nurobo and his gang begin to idealize the sailor, as they view him as free, masculine, diciplined, and without weak effeminate characteristics. After Ryuji begins to court Fusaku, and Nurobo sees them having sex, they see in the sailor a betrayal of their objectionist ideals, and plot to murder their once idealized hero. They invite Ryuji to help them with something they are building, and Ryuji is once again blinded by his self interest and does not realize their true intent, so he follows them to a very discrete location to his doom.

SYMBOLS:

Everything Mishima uses in the novel presents some form of representation of different ideas. The setting shows a world of opposing ideals, the free and open sea and sailor life that Ryuji has been living, contrasted with the weight and solidification of the port and land. At first, the courtship of Fusaku fits nicely into Ryujis life of conquering the omnipresent prowess of the sea. In the beginning of the novel, these two elements are in harmony, as represented by the delicately told consummation scene (12-13) in which man, woman, earth and water are united within the mysterious background of a ship's passionately moaning horn. As the novel progresses, the once emotionless sex given to Ryuji becomes muddled with emotion, responsibility (Nurobo becoming more like the character of a son to Ryuji), and an incessant calling back to the shore plagues Ryujis once free soul. There are consistent symbols such as Ryujis memories of distant ports, and the power of a ships horn that represent his still unsure and conflicted mindset in his gravitation toward a more anchored life on land with human emotional ties.

When Nurobo views his mother and Ryujis consummation, he views it through a small hole-representing the limiting factor of perspective (A HUGE theme in Mishima's novel). He cannot see everything clearly, and the consummation is presented in a passive role that Nurobo is later conflicted with. The blue of the soft night as he views the bodies of his mother and his hero represent his passive role in the perspective viewing of his mother-someone he almost sexually loves. This is later contrasted with the other most vividly described scene, the killing of the cat. The red innards of the dead cat represent Nurobos active role in his search for solidity and power in the world.

CONTRAST is very important in the book. The power and open liberty of the sea, the blue passiveness of consummation and the red extremity of death. Nurobo's perception of Ryuji's "fall from grace" his change of a self supportive sailor to a husband is more aware than Ryuji is of himself. This presents a contrast of Nurobo, a young boy, being more perceptive than an older more experienced person, Ryuji. There is also a contrast of culture, the westernization of Japan, especially in relation to the port city. Fusaku represents the ever present western ideals, as she frequently is surrounded by western objects in her shop. Her son Nurobo holds stoicism, manliness, and more traditional Japanese values. This contrast is presented politically in the final act of Ryuji's murder. His fall from grace is cut off by his death. This presents an idea that Japan will become mighty again, when westernization and western ideas will be cut out from the once traditional Japan. The novel climaxes when all of these motifs culminate in a single scene. Ryuji is killed by the gang on a deserted US army base hill which overlooks the sea. In an instant, quick flash of realization, he understands his weakness. The only way to be purged of his enormous mistake is by death alone.

PERSPECTIVISM

Mishima presents ideas of perspectivism, and how perspective barriers prevent us from TRULY interacting with one another. Each persons perspective blinds them of reality, an idea withheld by Nurobo and his gang. The first idea of perspective comes when Nurobo is spying on his mother through a peephole-representing the limiting factor of perspective. It may provide a sense of excitement, thrill, but it limits what can be seen. Ryuji's perspective of himself, his "destiny" blinds him from events taking place. Nurobo's gang of almost obviously violent friends. The story is always told in third person, shifting between the perspectives of main characters. Through this we learn that the relationship of Fusako and Ryuji is more one of mutual need than of "true love" or understanding (42, 72). Ryuji percieves himself to be special, unique, and destined for glory. Because of this, he cannot connect with Fusaku, who is blinded by her mixed westernized perception. Since Ryuij percieves himself to be this way, he also cannot connect with Nurobo, who is blinded by his own idealistic stoic perceptions of the world. This perceptive barrier ultimately leads to Ryuji's downfall. This leads the reader to the question-can our perceptive barriers only be removed through death? This was displayed in Mishimas life, and his suicide.

SOLIPSISM

Nurobo presents a sort of solipsism-the idea that ones own mind exists and that knowledge outside your own mind cannot be confirmed. This is almost presented contradictory through presenting EACH CHARACTER'S PERCEPTION. Nurobo considers himself a genius and his ideals to be perfect. He views the world as an objective truth, rather than subjective, but this contradicts with this solipsis state of mind. If the world cannot be proven to have a subjective truth-since empircal studies are subject to human perspective, Nurobo may as well not exist himself.

The Sailor who Fell From Grace with the Sea certainly reflects aspects of Mishima's life and ideals. I recommend this book to anyone who has read any of Nietzsche's works, as the idea of an objective reality is definitely present in both.

GOOD LUCK READING AND HAVE FUN!