GLORY+AND+HONOUR

=__The Sailor that Fell from Grace with the Sea - Yukio Mishima __=

[[image:http://www.mondo-digital.com/sailorcoversmall.jpg align="left" caption="Ryuji Tsukazaki (as played by Kris Kristofferson in 1977 adaptation)"]] __ Ryuji Tsukazaki __
Ryuji is a lonely sailor who dislikes small talk, and friendship. He is straightforward, works hard, and spends very little money. He feels that there is something destined for him in the world, a glory that only he should have. He feels that he is unique and has a destiny set in course for him. He dislikes land, and finds the sea to be his home. Ryuji lost his presence and Noboru (and the rest of the gang) did not look at him with the same sense of glory-ness and honor he had at the beginning of the novel. Noboru admired him because of the stories he brought back form the sea. **“He ran into a hurricane in the Carribean.”** This quote is one example of many of the extent of danger in Ryuji’s travels. It seems to be that it is a Honor for a sailor to have experience harshness out at sea. It is one of the prideful stories that they would be willingly tell other people. Ryuji's transition from hero to zero was party due to Fusako's moulding of him (she wanted to train him to run Rex eventually). When Ryuji began to **“read the silly novels and art books Fusako recommended and he studied English conversation…he learned to wear the “smart” English clothes she lavished on him;…”(135).** At this point it is apparent how Ryuji becomes westernized, as well as long his heroic and honorable characteristics. This is an example of Mishima indicating that westerners have no honor and glory. (? Liran) The Chief takes it in his own hands to ask Noboru whether he wants to **“make the sailor a hero again?”**. The Chief believe that there is **“just one way to make him a hero again”(Ch4 S2)**. At this time the chief doesn’t tell us what that way is but when the time will he will tell them. Ryuji, at the end of the novel, when hes telling the boys about his about sailing the high seas and etc. He realized that whenever he thought/dreamed of glory, and death, and women ⇒ they were all consubstantial/of the same substance. “**Yet when the woman had been attained, the other two withdrew beyond the offing, and ceased their mournful wailing of his name. The things he had rejected were now rejected him.” (181)**
 * “Perilious death had rejected him. And glory, no doubt of that. “(181)** . Ryuji realizes that glory has rejected him. He will never achieve his point of manliness because he went for the women, sacrificing death and glory.
 * “Still immersed in his dream, he drank down the tepid tea. It tasted bitter. Glory, as anyone knows, is bitter stuff”.** Glory is seen as bitter.

__**Fusako Kuroda**__
The readers sees the issue of glory and pride take place with Fusako after she just announces to Noboru that she is getting married to Noboru. She finds Noboru in his drawer, for a moment instead of bringing Ryuji to help deal with the situation, she would rather “get Noboru to apolgiize before Ryuji came into the room, she would be able to hide the details form him and save her pride as a mother. (154)

__Noboru Kuroda__
Another instance of honour and glory is after Noboru is caught, Ryuji, instead of beating him silly, tells that that what he did was wrong but there is no major punishment. Instead of feeling appreciation to Ryuji for not beating Noboru, Noboru felt suffocated and could not believe his hero could be saying something like this.
 * Noboru listened feeling as though he were about to suffocate. Can this man be saying things like that? This splendid hero who once shone so brightly?”(158).

‘But he quickly regained his pride and was able to report on Ryuji’s activities**’ - page 134. In Japan it seems that everything is about pride. (? Bernard)

//**Also (Regarding the ship)**//
 * ‘Her beautiful white spars, which spared above the shed’- page 131**. This phrase was used on a foreign ship. This may be to show that the ship shows pride and honor to its own country. At that time Japan couldn’t have shown they ‘white’ pride to the world because they have done some very dreadful things during the war.

The story is reflective of what happened to Japan following WWII. Noboru, Fusako and Ryuji, reflect different parts of Japan. Ryuji represents Japan before WWII, he's pure and has goals and pride. However this changes once he meets Fusako (Western Influences), which is reflective of what happened to Japan as they became more Westernized under McArthur's direction. Noboru, as a result, is enraged and this reflects Mishima & his "The Shield Society" who represented traditional Japan and their beliefs of Bushido (The Samurai Code of Honor) who attempt to reverse this. It's possible at this point, Mishima was already thinking of his //coup//. (Don't use that for your revision! Just something to think about)
 * A reading of the text and of Ryuji's Transition**

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