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Societies are molded through beliefs, customs, and culture. Sociologically, culture dictates the way in which its respective society and its individuals act or react to certain instances and events. Culture is viewed as very important to many people and ethnic groups and can be as extreme as being the epitome of ones existence. In Mishima's Patriotism, the two main characters, Shinji and Reiko, depict strongly the impact and effects of a persons behavior due to cultural beliefs. The reader can notice how those beliefs can affect a person and give reasons for their actions in a given environment. Using the Japanese Imperialistic government, love / respect / loyalty, and seppuku as primary examples, we can understand and perceive how Shinji and Reiko, Patriotism s main characters, remain unyielding and loyal to their cultural beliefs.
In the beginning of the story, Mishima peculiarly notifies the reader of the death of Shinji and Reiko along with a brief summary of the political and military problems Japan was experiencing at that time. These governmental problems, which were cited on the story, were when right-wing officers killed several moderate officials in an effort to establish a more militant Japan (593). This problem posed quite a setback for Shinji, a lieutenant of the Japanese army, for his colleagues and friends were seen as a threat to this new Japanese Imperialistic military movement. Shinji was ordered by his higher-ranking officials to kill his military colleagues due to this new military idealistic movement. Shinji is unwilling to kill his fellow members of the Imperial force, for he sees it against his honorable / cultures beliefs and principles, so he kills himself through the age-old Japanese suicide, seppuku. This shows how Shinji honored and respected the old honorable Japanese Imperialistic military as well as his colleagues.
In this environment of new order, the ancient ways of Japanese culture dictate Shinji s behavior. Due to his honor and respect for the Japanese culture, Shinji is resolute in his decision of killing himself. On the last paragraph of Chapter two, Mishima states how every morning how Shinji would go to the God shelf where photographs of their Imperial Majesties were, and every morning stand with his wife at this hallowed place and bow (595). Shinji s one line suicide note, Long Live the Imperial Forces Army Lieutenant Take yama Shinji, shows his bluntness. This also further confirms Shinji s loyalty to the Japanese Imperialistic military. Reiko, Shinji s wife, also shows a contribution of honor and valor to the Japanese Imperialistic military by just being a wife of a soldier.
When married, Reiko was aware and accepted such terms. The first chapter works as a summary of the storys plot showing Shinji s loyalty to the military. Also, in chapter one, the tone is distant without emotional most as if its a report. Mishima uses the literary device omniscient narrator, in which where the author moves from distant description, scene setting, and comment on what is happening to the thoughts of various characters. Mishima deliberately chose this tone and language so the story can develop and capture the reader as the story slowly evolves more emotional.
Another way the Japanese cultural belief effected Shinji and Reiko was through the act of seppuku. The act of seppuku involves the insertion of a blade into ones own stomach. The person performing the suicide then continues by cutting across the length of the abdomen, disemboweling oneself. Seppuku has been a sacred ceremony since ancient Japan that has been reserved for the samurai class. It was used to follow ones lord in death as an act of loyalty and dignity and also as a means of redeeming failure through an honorable death. This act, indeed, requires a lot of confidence in a persons view and belief in a certain event or matter.
Shinji, through his honorable, cultural faithfulness to the Japanese culture, did not hesitate to commit such an act, during the story, even through the preparations. Mishima records no contradiction, or second thoughts that Shinji may of had. As for Reiko, who is faithful to the same belief, knew that such an incident may occur being married to a soldier. Reiko continues in the path of her husband and commits suicide as well, displaying the same bravery and honor Shinji has. When Shinji is committing suicide in chapter four, Mishima changes from the literary device omniscient narrator, to real time narration. Mishima is taking his story close, it is almost as though we, as readers, are there breathing with them, creating a sense of immediacy.
The reader now has a bird s eye view on the events that are happening and is experiencing the event as it happens, second for second, action for action, breath for breath. Throughout the story, probably the one instance that has stood out as one of the primary focus and cultural implications are the love, loyalty, honor, and respect Shinji and Reiko had for each other. Since their marriage, they have been very honest and passionate towards each other. Chapter two consists mainly of how Shinji and Reiko met, how they established a trusting bond, and how they thought of how happy they were even when they were away from each other.
Indeed, Shinji and Reiko's relationship were in accordance with the Education Rescript s injunction, that husband and wife should be harmonious (595). The love Shinji and Reiko had for each other was a type of love that transcended over other marriages. Shinji was an Imperialistic military soldier and accepted to die for his country. Being a soldier s wife, Reiko accepted those terms to the fullest. Her devotion to him equals that of his to the honor of their country. Reiko also vowed on their wedding night to take her own life in the event that he gave his honorably in battle.
When Shinji questioned Reiko if she would accept those terms if they were to happen, Reiko rose to her feet, opened the drawer, and took out a blade and laid it on the mat a silent understanding was achieved Shinji never again questioned his wife s resolve (594). Here, Mishima confirms Reiko s loyalty to both her husband and her cultural beliefs. Mishima also creates and conveys to the reader a sort of foreshadowing. In the end, Reiko furthers her cultural obligation and loyalty and helps Shinji die. After experiencing his death, Reiko does the same and kills herself, fulfilling her duty as the wife of a soldier. In chapter two, Mishima still uses the omniscient narration, but establishes a closer relationship with the characters.
For instance, in the first paragraph, last sentence, Mishima beautifully constructs the sentence so that we are able to picture Reiko. There are also some small but finely drawn details elsewhere in the chapter the lieutenants mud-splashed uniform'; the dagger that Reiko's mother gave her that contained significant, almost foreshadowing meaning. We also learn some about their home, for example in the last paragraph in this same chapter, Mishima is trying to establish how loyal they were to the gods and to the Imperial Majesties; almost everything seemed to be picture perfect, as if the gods granted this harmony. This paragraph echoes a sort of picture of a calm before the storm. In further analysis of Mishima s Patriotism, it is in Mishima s writing style in which he acquires the point across to the reader. His use of both short and long paragraphs, dashes and ellipses, short and long sentences as well as other punctuations establishes how Mishima intended the reader to read his work, concluding to a well comprehended, emotionally drawn reading.
Also, Mishima makes great use of word choice making each sentence stand out and more comprehensible, which also contributes to the overall emotion, theme, and meaning. In this case, Mishima means to convey how faithful Shinji and Reiko were to each other, the military, and to age-old Japanese cultural beliefs. It is also intended by Mishima to show how Shinji and Reiko behaved and reacted in their given circumstance and environment.
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