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Existentialism in the Sailor Who Fell From Grace with the S Existentialism in the Sailor Who Fell From Grace with the S

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Existentialism in the Sailor Who Fell From Grace with the S - PPT Presentation

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.