Three Portraits of Women in Mishima's Novels, Mishima
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//-->Three Portraits of Women in Mishima's NovelsAuthor(s): Michiko N. WilsonSource:The Journal of the Association of Teachers of Japanese,Vol. 14, No. 2 (Sep., 1979), pp.157-180Published by: American Association of Teachers of JapaneseAccessed: 26-07-2015 09:56 UTCinfo/about/policies/terms.jspJSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of contentin a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship.For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.American Association of Teachers of Japaneseis collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access toTheJournal of the Association of Teachers of Japanese.This content downloaded from 150.254.100.169 on Sun, 26 Jul 2015 09:56:52 UTCAll use subject toJSTOR Terms and Conditions157Journalofof theTeachersAssociationof JapaneseVol.XIV,No.2THREE PORTRAITS OF WOMENNOVELSIN MISHIMA'SMichikoN.WilsonviewoftheTHIS paperexploresmisogynousin MishimaYukio'swomen expressedliteraryhow thatand thenexaminesmisogynyessays,fiction-of threeof hisis tiedto theimagein THIRST FOR LOVEal femalecharacters,and SPRINGAFTER THE BANQUET (1960),(1950),novelof thethefirstSNOW (1965),tetralogy.theavoidsnovelsof thesethreeMy analysisde-thatwouldsurelyquestionsbiographicalcare-on Mishima'sinformationmand detailedhomosexu-and hislife,fullyprivateguardeddiscus-in particular,up thealityopeningmode of cri-sionto an entirelydifferentor a Freudiana psychoanalytical,ticism,i.e.,is a literaryThe aim of thispaperanalysis.arche-of theone--tofocuson thesignificanceto eachwomen character,roletypalassignedofviewa coherentin an attemptto establishin Mishima'sof women representedtheimageuniverse.literaryUni-from TokyoIn 1947 Mishimagraduatedenteredand immediatelyLaw Schoolversityin the Min-theof thedomaintop bureaucracy,later.a yearto resignof Finance,onlyistryfactorsto hereditary(bothdue partlyPerhapsof-wereand fatherhisgovernmentgrandfatherheto hisand partlyficials)training,legalamind withan extremelypossessedanalyticalele-and catalogueto anatomizeeverytendencyand thoughts.actionment of hishisthathisclaimBe thatas it may,was neatlylifecompartmentalizedliterarysome-realitiestwo incompatibleintosuggestshelifeself-consciousof thepatternthingwerelifehisliteraryEncompassingsought.withinthe worldfictionalized"thereality"realand "theof a novel,reality"physicalThis content downloaded from 150.254.100.169 on Sun, 26 Jul 2015 09:56:52 UTCAll use subject toJSTOR Terms and Conditions158in whichMishimathesetwo realitiesas a writer.dwelledhe wrote:AboutIt is well known that Balzac,on his sickbed,calledout the name of a doctor in one of his novelsandoften blur"Go and fetch him!"Novelistssaid,the realitiesof the fictionalizedand the experi-entialworlds.Not to confuseone with the otherhas become my most importantin dealingmethodologyThe fundamentalwith lifeand art.impulse towrite,for me, comes from the tensionand confrontationofthese conflictingrealities.2Mishimalikewisediscussed."woman" intermsof thesewoman whotwo realities--thein thedwellsand theworld,experientialof "idealto portraywoman" he wishedtypein thefictionalizedAt theworld.age ofof woman in generalwas a tho-29, hisimageIn comparisonone.toroughlynegativeFlaubertwhosesexualrevulsion(1821-1880),towardwomen had a tingeof misogyny,Mishimasaw no needa misogynousto implyout-merelyhe openlywomen in hisdenouncedar-look;"A Discoursein Misogyny."3Mishimaticle,startedthearticlethetermby defining"misogynist":I think that "misogynist"or "woman-hater" is ahighlyvenerabletitle.I should say that August Strindbergis the representativeof all the misogy-(1849-1912)nists.He is the one who, unable to quench his amo-rous flame, goes back to his woman again and againwhile his infatua-only to be wounded and betrayed;tion intensifies,his hatred for her multipliesaHis love and hatred for one specifichundredfold.woman spreads to the whole female species.His con-cept of "misogyny" goes beyond the realm of sensesand restsitselfon the philosophicalplane, his worldview tinged with the hues of misogyny.Such is theman who deservesthe titleof "misogynist."It wouldbe plain audacityfor me to claim such a venerabletitleand I have never avowed myself to be a misogy-nist.has kindly madeHowever, "generous"societysuch a claim,in my being asked to writeresultingthis article.His denunciationof theexperientialworldrestsfemaleuponin thespeciessixaccusations:This content downloaded from 150.254.100.169 on Sun, 26 Jul 2015 09:56:52 UTCAll use subject toJSTOR Terms and Conditions159inferiorand stupid;2) they1) women arewithabstractof grapplingareincapabletheartofcan never3) theyideas;perfecta senselackand architecture;music4) theyis thewhichof N6of restraint,pillarofarthaveman the5) theydrama;taughthassocialadvancement6) theirlying;andtheof artforthcorruptionbroughtsex-man as a meremorals,therebybindingualbeing.the now di-to defendIn hiseagernessof men (he particularlyminishedpositionwerein hismalesAmericanmind,who,pitiedintoMishimavictimizedbroughtby women)andhistiradeissuesas ChristianitysuchwhosedeleteriousinfluencesRomanticism,thedebilitationof man'smoralexpeditedin the world.He addedthathu-functionalland procreationmanism,helpedmonogamy,man as ain one way or anotherto subjugatehim and makingsexualobject,incapacitatinghishim to assumemoralforitimpossiblewomen haveand socialresponsibilities,encroachedterritory.steadilyupon man'sin-What Mishimaformeant,by theexample,in themaleroleferiorof theincapacitatedwhilefe-theis that,processprocreativeis favoredwiththeof carry-maleexperiencein her womb and by thetopowering a lifethe world,thefinishedintodeliverproducta totallythe malebecomesuselessentitytodoomedtheafterof thesperm,injectionHere Mishima'sbeara terribleloneliness.a senseof intenseconcealedyearn-misogynythethecre-to becomeand envyfemale,ingator.4on women,attacksHis randomrangingof themembersfrom femalecongressionalseem to be more excuses,Dietto GeorgeSand,to-directedemotionsor outletsforpent-upemo-ward what he despises--thecapricious,associatedand irrationaltional,qualitieshe succeedsOn thewithwhole,femininity.roleof a scape-women to thein relegatinggoat.This content downloaded from 150.254.100.169 on Sun, 26 Jul 2015 09:56:52 UTCAll use subject toJSTOR Terms and Conditions160Beforeon to a heateddiscussiongoingof misogyny,he made two pointswhichrevealtherealintentand theof hisironyargument.The firstwas thattheof histargetveryin theattack--womenworld--wereexperientialthehisof supportlit-continualforsourcethehe was verymuch awarethatcareer;eraryof novelreadersin Japanwerewomen.majorityhe was actuallyafraidof women.5Secondly,additionto thefearof theunnamedfemalewhichat theof hisrootspecies,layMishimahad an almostchildlikemisogyny,of woman'sto surviveand her in-envyabilitystinctforsurvival.withcompromised"Havingthesecularwrote"I opentheworld,"Mishima,car doora woman,forsecureher firstin theand offerthecar,my arm to her as we crossstreet.whaton in myHowever,actuallygoesmind isB.S.!of theto estimatesAccordingwoman livesmuch longerthanaveragelifespan,man.It is odd thattheill-fatedhuman beingis expectedto protecttheotherwho(man)outliveshim."One can detectin thiscom-stereotypeda senseof frustrationfromplaintarisingMishima'snotionthatwoman representssome-and ambivalent.Heevasive,thingamorphous,was notableto touchhiswithown handsandthefemaleitanalyzeentitysystematically;eludedhim.to Mishima,womanthen,Accordingis theof everythingman represents--oppositeform and lucidity.order,namely,The acerbityof Mishima'spronouncementson theof woman was consid-imagestereotypedmore controlledin hisdiscussionoferablyfictionalwomen characters.Here again,Mi-shimathecriticof physicalis dis-realityfrom Mishimathecriticas artist.tinguishedfrom TanizakiJun'ichir6(1886-Takingexamplesand Flaubert,he described1965)therelation-thebetweenheroinein a noveland hershiptheauthor:creator,It is commonly said that thenovelistis fond of depictingtype of woman which ais his ideal woman orInThis content downloaded from 150.254.100.169 on Sun, 26 Jul 2015 09:56:52 UTCAll use subject toJSTOR Terms and Conditions
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