Blog No. 1: Blinded by the Past

Blinded by the Past

            In the novel An Artist of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro, Masuji Ono is a man whose suppressed tumult in life creates a veil against reality.  He, the novels main character and narrator, seems to cling to optimism about his own existence; Ono portrays a positive and fulfilled life while his family sees a moping and broken man.  So how is it then that a man can be so conflicted about his own identity?

            From childhood Masuji Ono was raised to see himself as flawed.  Page 45 of  An Artist of the Floating World tells how Ono’s father repeatedly brought up the words of a priest which—in assessment of Ono as an infant—declared the child to have a weak streak that would give him a tendency towards slothfulness and deceit  and would grow up to be a good-for-nothing.  Beyond this blatant attack on young Masuji’s psyche, his father also ceremoniously destroyed the one thing Ono was passionate about, his artwork.  Instead of showing sadness or anger against his father, Ono simply developed a thicker callous against the world and forged on.

            Later on in life, it is apparent that Ono’s shield against reality is formed quite naturally.  The novel makes it very clear that much is hidden about Ono’s activities during the war, but, as the narrator, he continually justifies and explains away the past.  For example, early in the book (p. 23) Ono proclaims his thankfulness of Shintaro as an ignorant companion who is “uncontaminated” or “scathed” by the past (no doubt regrettable actions during the war).  Later in the book (p. 54-56) Ono describes a conversation with Miyake—the once near son-in-law to Ono—and how the encountered may have decided Miyake’s family withdrawal from marriage negotiations.  Of course Ono explained the situation as Miyake being shamed by his “low class” place of work and breaking off negotiations because he felt unworthy of Ono’s daughters hand in marriage.  But from the reader’s perspective, it is clear that this conversation between the two men is much more telling.  Miyake explains how his boss has just committed suicide and, although tragic, how it was a noble act of apology for his undertakings during the war.  Ono’s response to this news is to citizen the company president and state that there is no shame in supporting your own country at war.  Then, in a single sentence, Miyake seems to reveal the true reason for breaking off marriage negotiations with Ono:  “Sometimes I think there are many who should be giving their lives in apology who are too cowardly to face up to their responsibilities”.  In true nature, this statement simply bounces off Masuji Ono’s shell of denial.

            It may seem that Masuji Ono is a man who is simply unwilling to open his eyes and see the truth for what it is.  But are we so innocent in judging his character and resolve?  We all are nothing more than the product of our upbringing.  Hopefully though, we eternally seek to see ourselves from a different perspective.