existentialism in the sailor who fell from grace with the sea

Existentialism in the Sailor Who Fell From Grace with

the SeaYukio Mishima develops the themes of Existentialism and Nihilism through the characters Noboru and Ryuji

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The Only Thing to Write Down

Outline existential schools of thought Distinguish between existentialism and

nihilism Concisely 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 discuss

Introduction to Existentialism

A chiefly 20th-century philosophical movement prevalent in Europe assuming that people are entirely free and thus responsible for what they make of themselves

Existentialism is the philosophy that deals with the subjective existence of an individual.

What is Existentialism?

Friedrich Nietzsche Søren Kierkegaard Blaise Pascal Jean-Paul Sartre Franz Kafka Fyodor Dostoevsky Albert Camus Paul Tillich

Chief Existential Authors

Focuses on concrete existence

Existence precedes essence

Angst

Freedom

Facticity

Authenticity/Inauthenticity

Despair

Key ideas

“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 Existentialism

Yukio Mishima followed many samurai teachings that coincide with views resembling typical European existentialism◦ Authentication◦ Life is meaningless◦ Lack of forward-thinking/retrospective ideas

Why existentialism?

Examples in the text

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

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.


Seeking authenticationThe cry of despair: “There is no purpose.”

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

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.


ApathyAttempt to separate self from society

But life aboard ship taught him only the regularity of natural law and the dynamic stability of the wobbling world.


But life aboard ship taught him only the regularity of natural law and the dynamic stability of the wobbling world.


Separation from society

There must be a special destiny in store for me; a glittering special-order kind no ordinary man would be permitted.

– Paragraph 3 - Ryuji

There must be a special destiny in store for me; a glittering special-order kind no ordinary man would be permitted.


Self-importance

... 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 thatBut even I must shed a tearAs I wave, boys, I wave so sadAt the harbor town where my heart was glad.


... 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 thatBut even I must shed a tearAs I wave, boys, I wave so sadAt the harbor town where by heart was glad.


Despair-driven diction

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.


“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

“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 admirationDownplay of admiration

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

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/authentication

“...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

“...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."


Self-justification

power over existence

Emptiness

The death had transfigured the kitten into a perfect, autonomous world.

Page 61 – Paragraph 3 - Cat

The death had transfigured the kitten into a perfect, autonomous world.

Page 61 – Paragraph 3 - Cat

Search for beauty in abnormal places

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.


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.


Attempt to preserve what little freedom/happiness exists

Quest for perfection

perfection

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).


It was time to abandon the dream he had cherished too long. Time to realize that no specially tailored glory was waiting for him


Despair

“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

“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 lifestyle

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

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

Angst

"All six of us are geniuses. And the world, as you know, is empty”


“All six of us are geniuses. And the world, as you know, is empty.”


Authentication/inauthentication

Right, he knew, in terms of a father’s moral obligation. Most books and magazines would agree.


Right, he knew, in terms of a father’s moral obligation. Most books and magazines would agree.


Justification

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.

Speculations of Mishima’s Stance

Breakdown of ideasFavours 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 subjective

Jean Paul Sartre – Literary and Philosophical Essays

He stares at death with passionate attention and this fascination liberates him.

existentialism in the sailor who fell from grace with the sea

Documents

sea existentialism

themes of existentialism

ordinary man

sailors life

man isnt tiny

ryujibut life aboard

concrete existence existence

societybut life aboard