Dualities In Kokokoro

Dualities are a major aspect of the book Kokoro by Natsume Sōseki. In his novel, he compares numerous things that are often oppositional, like the ways of westernized Japan against the traditional ways of Japan, or aspects of the city versus the country. These dualities are often the more obvious ones. Though there are other dualities in the story which are more subtle, such as passion versus intellect or sincerity vs cunning. Sōseki uses these dualities bring to life to his characters and his story. The stark contrast of the traditional Japanese ways versus the new modern ways is used frequently in the story. One example of this contrast being the narrator's father and Sensei. The narrator compares the two whenever he gets the chance.
One such chance being “In my heart,I compared my father’s joy with Sensei’s reaction at the dinner table after the graduation ceremony,” (Sōseki 79). The narrator compares Sensei and his father views and finds Sensei’s westernized view more in tune with his own rather than his father’s traditional views. Sōseki does this in order to emphasize the metamorphosing society of the new generation in contrast with the older traditional Japan. Similar to Sōseki himself who lived through the Meiji Era and watched the rapid change before him while participating in it. This is further expanded on with the time after the narrator’s graduation where his father wants to throw a graduation party. Despite the narrator really, really not wanting to have a party and be the center of attention. He compares his father’s old views on how admirable education is to Sensei’s view of education, illustrated through what he had done with his certificate. When the narrator asks Sensei about his certificate he responds, “I wonder. Would it still be tucked away somewhere?” (68). Sōseki shows that Sensei has completely forgotten where he put his diploma. Indicating that Sensei’s education was not that important to him nor that special as he forgot where is diploma is.
Sensei also discusses the standing of students in society. He tells the narrator that during his time as student people respected the students and thought of them as honorable individuals as they mostly came from upper class families. Though he says that students are no longer seen as those respected people due to the inclusion of almost anyone, thanks to the Meiji Era. Sōseki portrays this contrast in view of education and the place of students throughout the novel. He does this to convey the changing times of Japan, specifically the traditional views which are losing ground to those that are more modern and capitalistic or western. Alongside these changing views is the contrast of the countryside versus the big city. Which also contrasts the modern way of things against the traditional way. Sōseki has both the narrator and Sensei come from the countryside and move to Tokyo for schooling. The country and the city often clash for the narrator, ”Whenever I thought about Tokyo, I felt the blood that pumped strongly through my heart pulsing to a rhythm that cried ‘Action! Action!” (47). He yearns to go back to the fast paced lifestyle of the city rather than stay with his parents in the country. This is because he finds the country to be too slow
and traditional. So much so that he is unable to focus during his studies, “I had been far more happily focused and able to study back in my second-floor room in hectic Tokyo… rattled in my ears”(85). Sōseki implies that the narrator, much like himself, has grown accustomed to the city life and loves it, while finding the country life to be backwards and even bothersome at times, showing the duality of the rapid progression of the city and its ever increasing hustle against the slow and traditional country. Another duality is the one comparing intellectual thought against passionate thought. This is a very difficult thing for Sensei as he spends most of his time trying to decide which he should follow. This problem is shown throughout Sensei’s Testament while he tries to decide what he should do concerning Ojōsan or K. One such incident is when he is trying to decide if he should tell K his feelings about Ojōsan; “Summoning up my courage, I decided to confess to K what was in my heart… but, so far I had had the skill neither to seize an appropriate moment nor to create one,” (178). Sensei never confesses to K himself as his intellectual brain always stymied him. Sōseki includes this bit of Sensei’s journey as he is explaining how Sensei thinks and makes his decisions. Though they are often not the best decisions they are his decisions which he feels the consequences of later. Sōseki makes Sensei out to be an intellectual thinker that always plans what he will do then do them but he still allows Sensei to be taken over by his passion at times. Sōseki shows this when Sensei and K are talking about why K needs Sensei’s approval to move forward with Ojōsan, “I began by tossing back at him the statement ‘anyone without spiritual aspirations is a fool,’... I wanted with these words to block K’s way to love,” (202). Sensei let his passion, his love for Ojōsan take over him and change him for a moment. He chooses words that demolish K’s hopes to be with Ojōsan. Sōseki has allowed both Sensei and K to be overcome by their emotions and do things outside of their normalities. He has these two intellectual men do things for love that they would never do otherwise. He has them go at each other through their words and actions. These often being rather deceitful rather than sincere when acting with passion. The duality of sincerity against cunning is quite obvious when it comes to Sensei. Sōseki gave the impression that Sensei was a sincere person who was honest until the end. Sensei shows his sincerity throughout the book with the narrator, his wife and Okusan. He may not have given them the whole answer but does attempt to answer any of their questions. This relating to his past and his passion to keep his wife away from the mental harm it might cause her. Though he does tell the narrator with his testament everything he needs to know. Alongside this testament came the truth of the true cunning Sensei had and hid from everyone. This cunning stemming from Sensei’s passion for Ojōsan and his conflict with K. Sensei allowed his intellectual mind to take control and became a very cunning person who would not only keep the truth locked away but also deceive people in order to get what he wanted. He shows this deceit through the time when he went behind K’s back and asked for Ojōsan’s hand in marriage. Sōseki has Sensei do this out of love but also jealousy which caused Sensei to take such drastic measures. Sensei’s compassion and cunning lead him to do despicable things. However, in combination they also give him what appears to be a fairly noble goal of keeping his wife happy at any cost. Even his wish for death but his fear of what would happen to her is more important, “Two or three times before now I have been poised to set off along the road to death that my destiny… the merest thought of inflicting double suicide on her and making her a cruel sacrifice to my own fate filled me with horror,” (231). Sensei may be deceitful and to many a loathable man as, Sōseki intended, he chose to keep going for his wife. Though it may have been a selfish reason it still held with his passion rather than his intellect or his cunning.
Sōseki’s dualities brought this story to life whether it be through the contrast of the narrator’s father's traditional ways conflicting with Sensei’s modern ways, the contrast of passion filled reactions and intellectual plans, or sincerity turning to cunning deceit.