A Pale View of Hills: Brian W. Shaffer Textual Analysis
A PALE VIEW OF HILLS: Brian W. Shaffer Textual Analysis
After both reading Kazuo Ishiguro’s elliptical novel, ‘A Pale View of Hills’ and now Brian w. Shaffer’s analysis of the book, I have been forced to rethink the initial notion that possessed me of the books obscure meanings and concepts, that Ishiguro so deftly weaves. The story itself is a powerfully constructed enigma that within it contains yet more ambiguous and obscure implications. Shaffer, in his analysis, manages to capture the very essence of the novel, basing, it seems his entire analysis around the theme of memory. My brain having not quite caught up with this vital genesis, when reading through the article, began to feel all those elusive and pale images collapse into place. Not only was Shaffer’s article a breath of fresh air, but it far furthered my imagination and understanding of what goes on behind a persons apparent story. Or perhaps, it would be more accurate to call it a human beings projected persona. What was most fascinating was Shaffer’s take on Ogata-San’s ‘obsession’ with Shigeo Matsuda, a young budding communist, whose views led him to attack Ogata-San’s lifelong profession, claiming him to have assisted, albeit unknowingly, Japan’s ‘most evil disaster in her entire history’ (147), and to have lead the country in a ‘misguided direction’. Shaffer likens Ogata-Sans obsession with Shigeo to Etsuko’s similarly obvious obsession with recalling ‘that’ summer, despite repeated claims otherwise. “There is nothing to be gained in going over such matters again” (91), “However such things are in the past now, and there is little to be gained in going over them here” (94), “I recall”, “I remember”, “I see now, in hindsight”, “in retrospect”. Furthermore, Shaffer highlights Ogata-Sans refusal and obvious vehemence towards Shigeo to Etsuko’s blatant refusal to speak of matter’s in the past with her second and living daughter Niki (89). The way Shaffer explains it; he says that human beings have
After both reading Kazuo Ishiguro’s elliptical novel, ‘A Pale View of Hills’ and now Brian w. Shaffer’s analysis of the book, I have been forced to rethink the initial notion that possessed me of the books obscure meanings and concepts, that Ishiguro so deftly weaves. The story itself is a powerfully constructed enigma that within it contains yet more ambiguous and obscure implications. Shaffer, in his analysis, manages to capture the very essence of the novel, basing, it seems his entire analysis around the theme of memory. My brain having not quite caught up with this vital genesis, when reading through the article, began to feel all those elusive and pale images collapse into place. Not only was Shaffer’s article a breath of fresh air, but it far furthered my imagination and understanding of what goes on behind a persons apparent story. Or perhaps, it would be more accurate to call it a human beings projected persona. What was most fascinating was Shaffer’s take on Ogata-San’s ‘obsession’ with Shigeo Matsuda, a young budding communist, whose views led him to attack Ogata-San’s lifelong profession, claiming him to have assisted, albeit unknowingly, Japan’s ‘most evil disaster in her entire history’ (147), and to have lead the country in a ‘misguided direction’. Shaffer likens Ogata-Sans obsession with Shigeo to Etsuko’s similarly obvious obsession with recalling ‘that’ summer, despite repeated claims otherwise. “There is nothing to be gained in going over such matters again” (91), “However such things are in the past now, and there is little to be gained in going over them here” (94), “I recall”, “I remember”, “I see now, in hindsight”, “in retrospect”. Furthermore, Shaffer highlights Ogata-Sans refusal and obvious vehemence towards Shigeo to Etsuko’s blatant refusal to speak of matter’s in the past with her second and living daughter Niki (89). The way Shaffer explains it; he says that human beings have