Essay on The Sound of Waves by Yukio Mishima - 845 Words

In The Sound of Waves, Yukio Mishima creates an exquisite story which has strong idealistic and mythic features. Although Mishima writes of young love and tranquility in The Sound of Waves, his later works are categorized as aggressive and containing violent sexual actions. Even Mishima himself referred to The Sound of Waves as that great joke on the public (qtd. in Ishiguro 385). However, one cannot compare this novel to Mishima’s other literary pieces; in order to classify it as romanticized, one must evaluate the usage of imagery, an idealized setting, mythical allusions, and characterizations which establish the romantic-driven qualities in The Sound of Waves. It is apparent that nature plays a major role throughout The Sound of†¦show more content†¦Mythical allusions described by Mishima serve to highlight the other qualities within The Sound of Waves. When Shinji first catches sight of Hatsue, she is â€Å"letting her hair stream† and her â€Å"cheeks glow† (7). These characteristics are shown many times throughout the novel and resemble Vergil’s depictions of goddesses such as Venus and Juno in the Aeneid. One conflict that Hatsue must overcome is when Yasuo attempts to rape her; his plot was obstructed by the intervention of a furious hornet. Hatsue sees the flashing of the little golden colored wings and wonders what god it [is] who [has] come to her rescue. (93).The interference of the hornet seems far-fetched, for most would think that the hornet would not only attack Yasuo, but also Hatsue. In this case, Mishima created an idealized situation were nature as saved Hatsue from the immoral actions of Yasu o. The setting of the island Uta-jima is idealized, which creates a place where the romance between Hatsue and Shinji can seem realistic. The reader begins the novel with a description of this island and â€Å"two spots with surpassingly beautiful views.† (3).After this, the reader is introduced to a young man, Shinji, climbing up the stairs of the lighthouse. Mishima depicts this area as one of the most beautiful views on the island. TheShow MoreRelatedThe Sound Of Waves By Yukio Mishima1420 Words   |  6 Pages Yukio Mishima’s The Sound of Waves takes place on the Japanese island of Uta-jima, an island caught in between two peninsulas in which tradition escapes the encroaching modernization of the outside world. The Sound of Waves is a timeless love story that tells the story of Shinji, the virtuous son of a village woman, and Hatsue, the daughter of the wealthiest man on the island. The naive pair fall in love and explore their newfound emotions while keeping in mind to avoid the villagers’ gossippingRead MoreEssay on The Sound of Waves by Yukio Mishima 637 Words   |  3 Pagesthe way one lives their life. In the novel, The Sound of Waves, Yukio Mishima exposed his own view on Japanese traditionalism. Throughout this novel, it is shown that Yukio Mishima believed that Japanese tradition consists of an organized social class, the Bushido code, and going after what one truly believes should be theirs. Mishima illustrated these personal views of Japanese traditionalism through the actions of the Shinji. First off, Mishima illustrated the importance of the social classRead MoreThe Effects Of Natural Environment On The Sound Of Waves1247 Words   |  5 Pagesreaders to capture the essence of a work through the display of the seasons, sea, weather, and the land. The novel, The Sound of Waves, presents a case of two young lovers from the rural, simplistic fishing island of Uta-Jima. As the novel progresses, the young lovers face multiple struggles that are resolved towards the end of the work. Commonly used in The Sound of Waves, Yukio Mishima employs the sea to display the protagonist, Shinji’s, dreams, thoughts and emotions, further the text, and resolveRead More##arison Of Japanese Characterism In Yuukio Mishimas The Sound Of Waves1463 Words   |  6 Pages The novel, The Sound of Waves, by Yukio Mishima, is a reflection of Japanese ideologies and characteristics that are infused in characters to portray a singular Japanese identity. He specifically uses the Bushido code which values Duty and Honesty along with other Japanese warrior traits as a basis for representing true Japanese characters in contrast to their Western-influenced counterparts (Bushido). However, he is hesitant in providing a fair comparison between the two. Yukio Mishima’s politicalRead MoreEssay on Sound of Waves759 Words   |  4 Pagessituations in a story. The tranquil diction used by Yukio Mishima in The Sound of Waves is very important to the calm island setting used in the story. The authors smooth word choice complements the burgeoning love between Shinji and Hatsue, the two main characters. Mishimas style also accentuates many instances of situational irony between the two young lovers and is only one of the many elements he uses in his composition . The Sound of Waves is a love story about Shinji and Hatsue and how theyRead MoreJapanese culture is one of the most well appreciated yet, sometimes intriguing and difficult to1000 Words   |  4 Pagesculture. In fact, the author of The Sound of Waves, Yukio Mishima enhances the habits of the right and unique ways of this old culture in his main characters and there, touches several important themes found throughout the book in relation to sexism. By the use of imagery, Mishima exposes the subtle sexism apparent on the island of Uta-Jima based on gender roles, stereotypes and religious ideologies to distinguish the role of men and women within Japanese culture. Mishima portrays gender roles to distinguish