Kokoro by Natsume Soseki - Research Paper Example

Kokoro Kokoro, written by Natsume Soseki, is a heart quenching sorrowful story that is linked with the Meiji period in Japan. It is a narrative story that speaks about the friendship of an unnamed narrator and his friend “Sensei”. Throughout the narration, their encounters and their lives are told exposing what is in their hearts. The story is greatly influenced by the socio-political condition of Japan during the “enlightened rule” of the Meiji era. Kokoro is a story that exposes feelings of loneliness and isolation of the characters just as the way Japan struggled through the Meiji era. The Meiji era in Japan started in 1868 and ended in 1912. It is considered as the “enlightened rule” where the traditional and modernity clashed. Emperor Meiji ruled this era right after the end of the Tokogawa period. By this time, the traditional political system which was ruled by samurais and shogun had gone to rest as the Western influence had intruded Japan. Japan was forced to bind with Western powers through treatise and follow their ways (“Meiji”).  The traditional government of shoguns which maintained the peace and prosperity in Japan for 250 years restricting themselves from the outer world had weakened. The era is named after Emperor Meiji marks the end of traditional feudalism system giving way to the start of modernism (“Tokugawa”). There was restoration in Japan in their government, education, communication, transportation and other aspects. However, these radical changes produced social and cultural crises in Japan. Astute minded people lingering in their ignorance were threatened by the presence of the West and their alien socio-cultural ways (Christensen). Japan struggled whether to stay in the shadows of the past, or to venture the foreign influence that modernism brings. Kokoro radiates the feeling of isolation and loneliness through the characters. It is divided into three parts. Part I is titled “Sensei and I” where the friendship of the narrator and Sensei started. It tells how the two of them first met and how the narrator feels about Sensei. He narrates the development of their relationship which started superficial at first yet flourished with their continuous communication. It reveals how the narrator desired the friendship of Sensei to make him a mentor. Sensei is a withdrawn individual. He refrains from revealing his feelings to anyone even to his wife. Although Sensei is aloof with such intimacy, the youthful naivety and innocent persistence of the narrator has kept their bond grow stronger through time (Soseki). The start of friendship of the narrator and Sensei is likened to Japan getting to know the West. There was a feeling of shyness, hesitation and aloofness at the start of their friendship. Sensei being naturally traditional inhibits the friendship. The narrator had a hard time getting to know Sensei as Sensei withdrew from intimacy and avoided talking about his life. Sensei isolated himself from his outside world just like Japan being isolated from the outside world. The young narrator is the modern generation. He is educated and no longer ignorant from the current ways of the world. Their friendship clashes at first due to the indifferent attitude of Sensei towards the narrator. But later, as Japan learned the new ways of the West, friendship flourished. Part II of the story is entitled “My Parents and I”.  This part reveals the family of the narrator. It tells about the narrator being successful in his studies as a fresh graduate. He can’t find a job yet due to the present situation of his ill father. He stays at home nursing his father. The father’s condition is greatly affected by the Emperor’s decline of health. He is burdened with worry about the Emperor and was distraught with the Emperor’s death (Soseki). The narrator keeps on comparing his father from his friend Sensei. Both men are trapped with the past where they are socially isolated from the modernization. As the modern age hovers over them, the more they withdrew into their inner selves failing to communicate with the present. This seclusion results to an unfathomable feeling of loneliness where they find their selves lost and have no one to cling to. Loneliness bears its fruits. The father became more sullen as the news of the Emperor worsened. Likewise, Sensei is trapped in his past struggling to expose the troubles of his heart resulting to his own death in the end. Part III entitled “Sensei and His Testament” is the last part of the story. It exposes the life of Sensei explaining his past and confirming his actions for the future. He narrates the story of his life through a letter to the narrator. Sensei tells the story of how his own bloodline betrayed him cheating him of his inheritance. He goes to Tokyo to study and meets the girl of his dream. He, together with his friend “K” lives with the girl and her mother for a long time. A conflict of interest arises between Sensei and “K” when they both fell in love with the same girl. Sensei, having knowledge of his friend’s affection to the girl, outmaneuvers “K” into marrying the girl. This causes distress to “K” so he commits suicide. The death of “K” haunted Sensei forever. Even when he is happily married to his wife, still the shadow of “K” disturbed him terribly. The guilt he feels within him keeps on growing. He faces condemnation as he lives with his wife every day. The story ends up with Sensei confirming his decision to commit suicide to end his agony (Soseki). Sensei is trapped in his world. He condemned himself from the death of his friend. The guilt he felt inside is so great that he wanted to burst. He may be living with a family with his wife at his side all the time, but all along, he is living with himself establishing walls from the people around him. He lived with his dark secret everyday making his life more agonizing. This loneliness and isolation affected his relationship with wife, where she sensed that something is wrong with his husband. His seclusion also manifests in his friendship with the narrator where he didn’t mind his presence from the start. He is indifferent from the people around him. He is covered with shame inside that he can’t relate with the outside world. Sensei can be likened to Japan during the Meiji era. The traditional socio-cultural practices of Japan trapped in the past treated modernization with hostility. Some were able to adapt while most remained astute and hid in their shells as protection from the foreign invasions. This isolation resulted to depression where many people can’t stand the new world. The world is inevitably inclined to modernization.  There is no other way for traditional Japan but to adapt the new world or die. Just like Sensei, he wasn’t able to adapt to the new world thus he wanted to die. This is the only solution that he can think of to escape the terrible pain of loneliness in his heart. The struggle of Japan during the Meiji era is shown in the narrator’s father, “K” and Sensei. They had a difficult time in adapting the new world. The wider the world becomes, the more they curl up creating a world of their own covered with walls. This created an unfathomable loneliness inside them making them hard to breath. It was their choice not to relate to the new world, thus they die. In the Meiji era, traditional Japan died to create a new and modern world.      Work Cited Christensen, Maria. The Meiji Era and the Restoration of Japan. Samurai Archives. N.d. Web. 12 November 2013 “Meiji Period (1868-1912)”. Japan-guide.com. 1996-2013. Web. 10 November 2013 Soseki, Natsume. Kokoro – Translated by Edwin McClellan. 1957. Web. 11 November 2013. “Tokugawa Period and Meiji Restoration”. A&E Television Networks. 1996-2013. Web. 12 November 2013 Read More