The Maker Speaks
Confessions of a Mask
At the Philosophical Peak of Mishima Yukio
At the Philosophical Peak of Mishima Yukio
Have you ever heard Mishma Yukio? He is a Japanese famous author who was born in 1925 and passed away in 1970. "Confessions of a Mask" is his representative novel published in 1949 Japan. In English, it was in 1958.
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This story is featuring a confession of a Japanese man. In his childhood, he was well-made. However, he was sort of poor at making female friends. He didn't know how to be familiar with girls. Growing up made him notice that his love didn't go to women...
It looks like a confession of a sodomite, doesn't it? That is not right, but.
After the World War 2, because of occupation by the United States of America which had loved liberalism so much, Japanese got to throw away their old value and regard self as important. However, there was basically no basis to establish "self" in Japan, because Japanese have been polytheistic.
Japanese, therefore, have to look for their self. On the way, we need to recognize difference between self and persona inside.
"Confessions of a Mask" tells us that we are unable to confess without a mask. Needless to say, it means a changeover of our values. Although Mishima Yukio was just in his early twenties, he was at the philosophical peak, surprisingly.
It looks like a confession of a sodomite, doesn't it? That is not right, but.
After the World War 2, because of occupation by the United States of America which had loved liberalism so much, Japanese got to throw away their old value and regard self as important. However, there was basically no basis to establish "self" in Japan, because Japanese have been polytheistic.
Japanese, therefore, have to look for their self. On the way, we need to recognize difference between self and persona inside.
"Confessions of a Mask" tells us that we are unable to confess without a mask. Needless to say, it means a changeover of our values. Although Mishima Yukio was just in his early twenties, he was at the philosophical peak, surprisingly.
About Confessions of a Mask
・Written by Mishima Yukio
・Published by Kawade-Shobou-shinsha (1949)
