How Masuji Ono's Past Experiences Shape His Views in the Novel An Artist of the Floating World
Significant forces makes us to retrogressively question our beliefs.
Support using illustrations from Kazuo Ishiguro‟ An Artist of the Floating World.
Masuji Ono, the protagonist of Kazuo Ishiguro's novel An Artist of the Floating World, is a man whose views are shaped by his past experiences. As a successful artist in pre-war Japan, Ono was commissioned to create propaganda paintings that glorified the Japanese military and its imperial ambitions. After the war, Ono is forced to confront the reality of his country's defeat and the devastation that his propaganda art may have helped to cause.
Ono's attachment to the past and his resistance to the present are evident in his struggles to find a new identity in post-war Japan. The new culture that emerges after the war is alien to Ono, and he feels displaced and isolated. He is also haunted by the guilt of his role in the war, and he is hesitant to take on any moral responsibility for his actions.
However, over the course of the novel, Ono begins to question his assumptions and to confront the reality of his past. He realizes that his art was not simply a matter of aesthetic delight or financial gain; it also played a role in inciting the soldiers to war. Ono also begins to accept that he is morally responsible for the consequences of his actions.
One of the most important ways in which Ono's past experiences shape his views is through his memory. Ono's memory is fallible, and he often remembers the past in a way that favors him. He blocks out or distorts memories that are painful or guilt-inducing. However, as the novel progresses, Ono begins to confront the truth of his past, and his memories become more accurate and less forgiving.
Another important way in which Ono's past experiences shape his views is through his relationship with his daughters. Ono's daughters represent the new generation of Japan, and they are critical of their father's role in the war. Ono's desire to earn their respect forces him to confront his past and to take responsibility for his actions.
In conclusion, Masuji Ono's views are shaped by his past experiences in a number of ways. His attachment to the past, his resistance to the present, his guilt about his role in the war, and his fallible memory all contribute to his complex and often contradictory worldview. However, over the course of the novel, Ono begins to confront the reality of his past and to take responsibility for his actions.