Yukio Mishima develops the themes of Existentialism and Nihilism through the characters Noboru and Ryuji alekzialivecom The Only Thing to Write Down Outline existential schools of thought Distinguish between existentialism and nihilism ID: 478074
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Slide1
Existentialism in the Sailor Who Fell From Grace with the Sea
Yukio Mishima develops the themes of Existentialism and Nihilism through the characters Noboru and RyujiSlide2
alekzia@live.com
The Only Thing to Write DownSlide3
Outline existential schools of thoughtDistinguish between existentialism and nihilismConcisely present examples of existentialism and nihilism in
The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With the Sea
Speculate about Mishima’s stance on existentialism
What this presentation aims to discussSlide4
Introduction to ExistentialismSlide5
A chiefly 20th-century philosophical movement prevalent in Europe assuming that people are entirely free and thus responsible for what they make of themselvesExistentialism is the philosophy that deals with the subjective existence of an individual.
What is Existentialism?Slide6
Friedrich NietzscheSøren KierkegaardBlaise Pascal
Jean-Paul Sartre
Franz Kafka
Fyodor Dostoevsky
Albert Camus
Paul Tillich
Chief Existential AuthorsSlide7
Focuses on concrete existence
Existence precedes essence
Angst
Freedom
Facticity
Authenticity/
Inauthenticity
Despair
Key ideasSlide8
“Values determined by ones own existence”
vs.
“Values do not exist but rather are falsely invented”
Existentialists believe that one can create value and meaning, whilst nihilists will deny this.
Nihilism and ExistentialismSlide9
Yukio Mishima followed many samurai teachings that coincide with views resembling typical European existentialismAuthentication
Life is meaningless
Lack of forward-thinking/retrospective ideas
Why existentialism?Slide10
Examples in the textSlide11
If I were an amoeba, he thought, with an infinitesimal body, I could defeat ugliness. A man isn’t tiny or giant enough to defeat anything.
Page 9 – Paragraph 1 - NoboruSlide12
If
I were an
amoeba
, he thought, with an
infinitesimal
body, I could defeat ugliness.
A man isn’t tiny or giant enough to defeat anything.
Page 9 – Paragraph 1 - Noboru
Seeking authentication
The cry of despair: “There is no purpose.”Slide13
But as the years passed, he grew indifferent to the lure of exotic lands. He found himself in the same predicament all sailors share: essentially he belonged neither to the land nor the sea.
Page 16 – Paragraph 2 - RyujiSlide14
But as the years passed, he grew
indifferent
to the lure of exotic lands. He found himself in the same predicament all sailors share:
essentially he belonged neither to the land nor the sea.
Page 16 – Paragraph 2 - Ryuji
Apathy
Attempt to separate self from societySlide15
But life aboard ship taught him only the regularity of natural law and the dynamic stability of the wobbling world.
Page 17 – Paragraph 1 - RyujiSlide16
But life aboard ship taught him only the
regularity
of natural law and the dynamic stability of the
wobbling world.
Page 17 – Paragraph 1 - Ryuji
Separation from societySlide17
There must be a special destiny in store for me; a glittering special-order kind no ordinary man would be permitted.
Page 17 – Paragraph 3 - RyujiSlide18
There must be a
special destiny
in store for me; a
glittering
special-order kind
no
ordinary man
would be permitted.
Page 17 – Paragraph 3 - Ryuji
Self-importanceSlide19
... And his favorite one was called “I can’t Give Up The Sailor’s Life.”The Whistle wails and streamers tear,
Our ship slips away from the pier.
Now, the sea’s my home, I decided that
But even I must shed a tear
As I wave, boys, I wave so sad
At the harbor town where my heart was glad.
Page 17 – Paragraph 5 - RyujiSlide20
... And his favorite one was called “I Can’t Give Up The Sailor’s Life.”
The Whistle wails and streamers
tear
,
Our ship
slips away
from the pier.
Now, the sea’s my home, I decided that
But even I must
shed a tear
As I wave, boys, I wave so
sadAt the harbor town where by heart was glad.Page 17 – Paragraph 5 - Ryuji
Despair-driven dictionSlide21
Exaltation swelled in Ryuji’s voice when he touched on the misery of his life, and while he was recalling the total in his bankbook, he couldn’t help digressing from the sea’s power to and benevolence, which was the story he had longed to tell, in order to boast about his own prowess like a very ordinary man indeed. It was just another particular aspect of his vanity.
Page 41 – Paragraph 2 - RyujiSlide22
Exaltation
swelled in Ryuji’s voice when he touched on the
misery of his life
, and while he was recalling the total in his bankbook, he couldn’t help digressing from the sea’s power to and
benevolence
,
which was the story he had longed to tell, in order to boast about his own
prowess
like a very
ordinary man
indeed. It was just another particular aspect of his
vanity.Page 41 – Paragraph 2 - RyujiSlide23
“And that’s your hero?” the chief said and when he had finished. His thin red upper lip had a tendency to curl when he spoke. “Don’t you realize there is no such thing as a hero in the world?”“But he’s different. He’s really going to do something... terrific.”
Page 50 – Paragraph 1- ChiefSlide24
“And
that’s your hero?
”
the chief said and when he had finished. His thin red upper lip had a tendency to curl when he spoke. “Don’t you realize
there is no such thing as a hero in the world?
”
“But he’s
different
.
He’s really going to do something... terrific.”Page 50 – Paragraph 1- Chief
Justification for admiration
Downplay of admirationSlide25
There isn’t any fear in existence itself, or any uncertainty, but living creates it. And society is basically meaningless, a Roman mixed bath. And school, school is just society in miniature: that’s why we’re always being ordered around. A bunch of blind men tell us what to do, tear our unlimited ability to shreds.
Page 51 – Paragraph 3 – ChiefSlide26
There isn’t any fear in existence itself, or any uncertainty, but living creates it.
And society is basically
meaningless
, a Roman mixed bath. And school, school is just society in miniature: that’s why we’re always being
ordered around
. A bunch of blind men tell us what to do,
tear our unlimited ability to shreds
.
Page 51 – Paragraph 3 – Chief
Downplay of society’s traits
Self-justification/authenticationSlide27
“...murder would fill those gaping caves in much the same way that a crack along its face will fill a mirror. Then they would achieve real power over existence."
Page 57 – Paragraph 6 - ChiefSlide28
“...murder would
fill those gaping caves
in much the same way that a crack along its face will fill a mirror. Then they would achieve
real
power over existence
."
Page 57 – Paragraph 6 - Chief
Self-justification
power over existence
EmptinessSlide29
The death had transfigured the kitten into a perfect, autonomous world.
Page 61 – Paragraph 3 - CatSlide30
The death had transfigured the kitten into a
perfect
,
autonomous
world
.
Page 61 – Paragraph 3 - Cat
Search for beauty in abnormal placesSlide31
Noboru, as he affected childishness, was standing guard over the perfection of the adults, the moment. His was the sentinel’s role. The less time they h ad, the better. The shorter this meeting was, the less perfection would be marred. For the moment, as a man, leaving a woman behind to voyage around the world, as a sailor and as a Second Mate, Ryuji was perfect.
Page 87 – Paragraph 7 - NoboruSlide32
Noboru, as he affected childishness, was standing guard over the
perfection
of the adults, the moment. His was the sentinel’s role. The less time they had, the better. The shorter this meeting was,
the
less perfection would be marred
.
For the moment, as a man, leaving a woman behind to voyage around the world, as a sailor and as a Second Mate, Ryuji was
perfect
.
Page 87 – Paragraph 7 - Noboru
Attempt to preserve what little freedom/happiness exists
Quest for perfection
perfectionSlide33
It was time to abandon the dream he had cherished too long. Time to realize that no specially tailored glory was waiting for him" (110).
Page 110 – Paragraph 2 - RyujiSlide34
It was time to
abandon the dream
he had cherished too long. Time to realize that
no specially tailored glory
was waiting for him
Page 110 – Paragraph 2 - Ryuji
DespairSlide35
“The only people in this world I really trust are my fans – even if they do forget you so fast,” Yoriko mumbled as she lit an imported women’s cigarette.
Page 121 – Paragraph 3-
YorikoSlide36
“The only people in this world I really trust are my fans –
even if they do forget you
so fast,”
Yoriko
mumbled as she lit an imported women’s cigarette.
Page 121 – Paragraph 3-
Yoriko
Justification of lifestyleSlide37
There is no such thing as a good father because the role itself is bad. Strict fathers, soft fathers, nice moderate fathers – one’s as bad as another. They stand in the way of our progress while they try to burden us with their inferiority complexes and their unrealized aspirations and their resentments, and their ideals, and the weaknesses they’ve never told anyone about, and their sins and their sweeter-than-honey dreams, and the maxims they’ve never had the courage to live by – they’d like to unload the all that silly crap on us, all of it!
Page 136 – Paragraph 5 - BoysSlide38
There is no such thing as a good father because the role itself is bad. Strict fathers, soft fathers, nice moderate fathers –
one’s as bad as another
. They
stand in the way
of our progress while they try to burden us with their inferiority complexes and their
unrealized aspirations
and their
resentments
, and their ideals, and the
weaknesses they’ve never told anyone about, and their sins and their sweeter-than-honey dreams, and the maxims they’ve never had the courage to live by – they’d like to unload the all that silly crap on us, all of it!Page 136 – Paragraph 5 - Boys
AngstSlide39
"All six of us are geniuses. And the world, as you know, is empty”
Page 161 – Paragraph 2 - ChiefSlide40
“All six of us are
geniuses
.
And the world, as you know, is
empty.
”
Page 161 – Paragraph 2 - Chief
Authentication/inauthenticationSlide41
Right, he knew, in terms of a father’s moral obligation. Most books and magazines would agree.
Page 171 – Paragraph 1 - RyujiSlide42
Right, he knew, in terms of a father’s moral obligation.
Most books and magazines would agree.
Page 171 – Paragraph 1 - Ryuji
Justification Slide43
Page 179-181 – Paragraph 5
Gradually, as he talked to the boys, Ryuji had come to understand himself as Noboru imagined him… Now perilous death had rejected him. And glory, no doubt of that… “Want some tea?”… Still immersed in his dream, he drank down the tepid tea.Slide44
Speculations of Mishima’s StanceSlide45
Breakdown of ideas
Favours Existentialism
Opposes Existentialism
Existential characters suffer despair and angst
Desperate situations seem to lead to “irrational” actions
Characters have difficulty conforming to society’s norms
Existentialist characters are depicted as wiser
Honourable similarities coincide with traditional Japanese values
Uses the novel as a vehicle of authentication
Values depicted as subjectiveSlide46
Jean Paul Sartre –
Literary and Philosophical Essays
He stares at death with passionate attention and this fascination liberates him.