Preview

"An Artist of the Floating World" Summary and Personal Discussion

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
602 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
"An Artist of the Floating World" Summary and Personal Discussion
"An Artist of the Floating World" Summary and Personal Discussion

Part 1: Summary Kazuo Ishiguro’s An Artist of the Floating World recounts the story of the aftermath of World War II for a Japanese propaganda artist, Masuji Ono. Ono narrates his story from October 1948 to June 1950 in the rebuilding of Japan after the destruction caused by the bombings resulting from the war. As a child, Ono’s father discouraged him in telling him he would never amount to anything in striving to become an artist. Furthermore, his first teacher, Seiji Moriyama, also discouraged Ono’s art, particularly in his differing style from his master. For these reasons, success was particularly rewarding for Ono. However, although Ono is still fairly well respected for his artistic talents in this postwar time, his use of patriotic propaganda art coupled with the negative outcome of the war for Japan put an incurable blemish in the his life. His downfall peaks in denouncing his star student, Kuroda, involving the police in arresting him and having his paintings burned.

Part 2: Discussion One of the larger ideas that took my attention throughout reading Ishiguro’s An Artist of the Floating World was the values of postwar Japan. I consider myself to be fairly sheltered in having never left the United States in order to experience how other people live their lives and their societal values. For this reason, I often find it particularly interesting to read (even fictional) stories that give insight into value systems largely different from America’s. Prevalent Japanese values in this story are loyalty, obedience, respect, honor, patriotism, and manners. Although these values are still evident in other cultures such as our own, the importance of adhering to these values are absolutely paramount in Japan. However, ironically, characters in the story disrespect each and every one of these values at different times in the story.
Loyalty and obedience are tested by the

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Powerful Essays

    Paul Varley's Loser-Hero

    • 1420 Words
    • 6 Pages

    In the book “Warriors of Japan as Portrayed in the War Tales”, as the title suggests, author Paul Varley studies numerous war tales from hundreds of years of Japanese history, throughout the rise of the samurai warrior culture and the societal change that went along with it. From ancient war tales like the Shōmonki to tales firmly in the medieval times like the Taiheiki, the changes in battlefield customs and warrior society are presented and studied as they change and evolve. Despite all the social changes occurring in these time periods, a certain element stays the same throughout all these tales, the warriors themselves.…

    • 1420 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    “But no one owns anyone or owes anyone anything” (Brennan 304). In the story “Floating,” Karen Brennan uses the themes of regret, rejection, guilt and death, to demonstrate how trauma in a relationship effects both sides differently. She illustrates the difference between herself and her husband, telling the story of what she feels and what her husband feels. In the beginning a sense of rejection is presented, this is shown when Karen quotes, “I woke up and heard a tiny sound coming from the back of the house. It was a baby….she had been crying for two days straight and had survived,” (Brennan 302). Reading this quote the reader can make the assumption that there is a sense of rejection…

    • 1356 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    He takes a look at the idea that the Japanese were always viewed as less than human and so often depicted as apes or monkeys. The belittling of the Japanese is seen clearly in the titles used in this section. Apes and others, (77) Lesser and Superman, (94) Primitives, Children, Madmen (118). Dower uses cartoons and illustrations in military publications and well-known magazines to further describe these actions. In this chapter Dower begins his examination as the Japanese went from being referred to as “the one time “little man” into a Goliath… Super-human, tough, disciplined and well equipped.”(113) Also Ambassador Joseph Grew, described on his return from Japan, that the Japanese were; “sturdy,” “Spartan,” “clever and dangerous,” and that “his will to conquer was “utterly ruthless, utterly cruel and utterly blind to the values that make up our civilization….”” (113) In this chapter Dower also examines how some Americans and British described the Japanese “National Character,” their tactics in war, and behavior during the war from Freudian psychiatry as well as Anthropology and other social and behavioral sciences. Dower cites many experts of the time and their understandings of the Japanese national character, although “itself questionable,” (124) the fact is that the implementation of these philosophies is what had a major…

    • 1781 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    People have different values by what they experiences. More specifically, the values can be differed by time, education, and society. The book, “The realm of the Dying Emperor”, shows that how modern Japanese people take the emperor’s death differently. The author experienced the death of emperor in 1989. I assume that many of her ages or higher will admire his death, because they’ve lived economically glorious time the emperor made. Also, the emperor hadn’t been exposed by media or people, which makes more deific of him. If the emperor Hirohito was more often exposed by people like the emperor Akihito, the emperor Hirohito’s divine character might be weaken just like todays celebrities gossips. After he declared “he is just a human, not a god” and several surgeries, people started to think he is not mighty like a god. And the time goes by, the emperor’s mighty character is getting weaken, and the younger generations don’t take it seriously like previous generations did. The values also affected by one’s experiences and education. Field thought the right-wing extremists are terrifying. The right-wing people might have right-wing tendency education from their right- wing families or schools. They might think that person who doesn’t kneeling and touching their heads in grief about the emperor’s death (p.24) is weird and unnatural. In this sense, different societies could affect people’s values too. Since the author was exposed by Americanized society, she wouldn’t take up a lamentation for the emperor’s death. The author doesn’t feel that way like right-wing people think, because she had different society and experiences. The newspaper in Okinawa didn’t use the word “hogyo” for the emperor’s death. Since Okinawa state has historically unfavorable relation with the emperor, the people from Okinawa society could not agree with the sympathy of the emperor’s death.…

    • 317 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    War Without Mercy Summary

    • 1817 Words
    • 8 Pages

    The concept of bushido, and honor was deeply engrained in Japanese culture. Not only were soldiers expected to fight to the death and to never surrender to the enemy, they also dehumanized their opponents. The Imperial Japanese Army had since the United States had entered the war, began propagandizing the enemies they faced. The book War without Mercy gives various examples of how the Japanese public saw and exemplified the United States. The book takes note of one article referred to as “The Bestial American People”. The article refers to the “real meaning of American individualism … in fact, the Americans desired to destroy ‘the divine state of Japan’ simply to gratify their insatiable carnal desires” (Dower 1986, 243). In addition the article the book mentions also portrays Americans as sadists, killing newborns via drowning and torturing Japanese prisoners of war in manners inhumane and cruel. Specifically, the article mentions that American soldiers tortured Japanese soldiers that was characterized as “only beasts and barbarians could do such things… certainly, humans could not” (Dower 1986, 243). The Japanese public and the Imperial army would find justification in the fight against the United States, believing they were combating a nation that was threatened their way of life. The total war mentality and the ideologies the public undertook made it difficult for the United States for the majority of the war to force Japan to surrender. As the United States captured more and more territory from Japan bringing them closer to a possible land invasion, it seemed that Japan was still fighting to the bitter…

    • 1817 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    The United States of America and Japan have not always had the relationship that they share today. With deep rooted history of war and violence between the two nations, the trust we now share is the foundation of our relationship into the future. Political movements, cultural representations, and images that we have investigated in this unit have led to the stable relationship we share with Japan today. Today our relationship is built upon mutual respect and correlating interest for the betterment of our nation's. This once foe, is now a major key to the economic success of the United States for years to come.…

    • 1085 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    He states that the Japanese are cocky, proud, sensitive, and intolerant of criticism or opposition because of the “inbred and firmly establish belief in their superiority” which has been “passed down through generations, grounded into them in their schools, and a part of their religion”. McClatchy is clearly unconformable with the superiority of Japanese as it conflicts with his worldview of Americans as superior and Japanese as inferior peoples who may be exploited for economic purposes. Here lies the crux of the assumptions for Japanese exclusion for McClatchy – he is fundamentally unaccepting of the national pride of the Japanese and wishes to exclude them on that basis. However, McClatchy misinterprets a reasonable amount of national pride and the desire to preserve Japanese culture as a show of superiority, allowing for more rational authors like Kanzaki to refute his…

    • 539 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Morimura

    • 1139 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Yasumasa Morimura was born on the 11th of June 1951. Today he is a well-known Japanese artist whom appropriates famous images by incorporating himself into the images. He does so with the firm believe that “all people have a common desire for transformation”. Morimura’ artworks involve maintaining the original image of another place and/or person but replacing the face of a subject with his own. By doing so he is subtly demonstrating to the audience how everything is not as it seems as they begin to see his image within the artwork. Morimura is enchanted by the concept of seeing and creating an illusion between the eastern and western world. He aims for capturing the original image perfectly and placing it within his modern world. He invades the artworks like the western worlds popular culture icons had invaded his life.…

    • 1139 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Women’s sacrifices allow for them to contribute to the man’s life because without them, many would not accept their gender role. Fujiko reflects on her life and the events that occurred when she first arrived in America. She felt betrayed because she was told “Hisao had amassed great wealth during his years in America” (225), however later “She reminded herself to behave with dignity no matter what the circumstances. It was a lesson she’d forgotten in her early days in America, but with time she had rediscovered it as something worthy passed down from her grandmother in Kure” (226). Asian culture revolves around honor, which contributes to how one appears in society. Many members of society detach from their identities to ensure happiness to…

    • 246 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    On the other hand, the second essay “Hiroshima” by John Berger is talking about the disaster of two atomic bombs being dropped in Japan. Berger, who is a painter himself, is describing the picture in the book called “Unforgettable Fire”; the book has pictures that have been drawn by non-professional survivals describing their experience, or as they call it “hell on earth”.…

    • 937 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The story Floating by Karen Brennan is about a woman who can miraculously float. She floats around the house day after day seeming to never leave. Her husband, however, seems completely unimpressed by her ability and sees her as a burden. A burden that he must feed and take care of. It is not long into the story before she finds a baby and brings it into her house. While this is happening another story is being told about a woman who meets Satan, and has a conversation with him in her house. The author intended for all of these events to relate to each other, and also to have some sort of deeper symbolism. The woman who aimlessly floats through the halls of her house does not have a choice, she is trapped. Her and every one else in the story is dead and stuck in Purgatory waiting for their eternal fate to be decided. All of them experiencing death in a different way, the man bitter and mean, the woman and baby oblivious,…

    • 1249 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    “Floating” by Karen Brennan is a story about a woman who believes she can float or levitate. The authors target audience is people that have had depressing things occur in their lifetime, or even more specifically, women that have gone through miscarriages. The story is told through the perspective of a woman and I think that the author did this to show that if guilt and pain eat at a person this is what can happen. The author uses symbolism to get her point across. The story is told in the first person and no names mentioned in the story because it makes it more relatable to other people. The author portrays a woman who was pregnant, had a miscarriage and is depressed; she is also delusional and believes her baby is still alive and is her little secret, and lastly on some deep level she knows her baby is dead and feels a tremendous amount of guilt. The author shows that the miscarriage can be a metaphor for any situation in life: you lose something, or fail at something you cannot just give up, let the sadness overcome you, become delusional, or keep feeling guilty, one has to be able to move on and be happy, and live your life.…

    • 1799 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    From the Gung Ho Movie, it is not hard to recognize that there are lots of differences in culture, value, and work attitude between Japanese and American. Three scenes from the movie where the cultural differences are shown distinctly, are given below-…

    • 564 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Floating Paradise

    • 477 Words
    • 2 Pages

    tourist spot, this landscape should be idolized because this proves that Biliran has its own ancestors. This magnificent landscape is found in the town of Almeria, here in the prestigious island of Biliran.…

    • 477 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Rewards are both individual and societal. Power and the ability to control motivate our political leaders. Desire for wealth fuels citizens and the economy. Skilled citizens are represented in the technologically advanced Japanese population. Enlightenment comes from an educated society. Health is invaluable to everyone, and to society when average life spans increase. And finally, respect, morality, and affection are the values that make up a person's essence.…

    • 831 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays

Related Topics