Soseki Natsume 夏目漱石 (1867-1916) Born in the eve of Meiji and lived in Meiji and died in Taisho 5.

1. Soseki Natsume夏目漱石(1867-1916)Born in the eve of Meiji and lived in Meiji and died in Taisho 5.

3. Soseki loved making Haiku and Tanka.Soseki wrote more than 2500 Haiku in his life.Soseki Natusme夏目漱石すみれほどな 小さき人に　生まれたし(Soseki)1897秋の山　 　 南を向いて　 　寺二つ (Soseki)1895若葉して　　手のひらほどの　山の寺(Soseki) 1897

4. From a Haiku poet to a great writer Soseki wrote more than 2500 Haiku in his life.Soseki Natusme夏目漱石すみれほど、小さき人に　生まれたし (Soseki)1897A little violet, I wish I were born like you (Translated by Koji)秋の山　 南を向いて　 寺二つ(Soseki)1895An autumn mountain, looking to the south,two little temples in my eyes (Translated by Koji)若葉して　手のひらほどの　山の寺 (Soseki) 1897Shining young leaves, a mountain temple, in my palm (Translated by Koji)

5. Group Discussion and Presentation Question 1:Who is Soseki Natsume? What is he? Question 2: What is the writer’s intention in “Kokoro”? (Key Words and the theme of the novel) Question 3: What is the charm of the work, “Kokoro”? (Characters, Organization and plot) Question 4: What is the nature of K and his conviction? Question 5: What is the nature of Sensei, his view of life? Question 6: What are the views of Sensei’s romantic love? Question 7: What kind of force made K commit suicide? (What is a “True Way” for K?) Question 8: What made Sensei leave this world in peace? (What is Spirit of Meiji for Sensei and Soseki?)

6. Group Discussion and Presentation Question 9: What did you learn from Kokoro (criticism)? (The Power of Confession) (The power of Jealousy) Question 10: Soseki and Shakespeare; Historical Backgrounds Question 11: What is Dramatic Irony in “Kokoro” and Shakespearean works? Question12: What is today’s significance of Soseki’s Kokoro? Question 13: Continue the story after Sensei’s death? Your Mid-term essay: My Criticism on Soseki’s “Kokoro” A4 size at least 2 pages and send it to Koji as an attached file on line by March 31.

7. Grouping for Discussion • Group A: Bryan, Maxime, Jessica, David, Joshua, Emily • Group B: John Paul, Ameria, Ka Rhim, Tim, Hwisun, Vincent • Group C: Alexandra, Andrew, Angela, Kyle, Ji Soo, Yuki • Group D: Jerome, Anna, Richard, Faiza, Aurora, Patrick • Group E: Asim, Alana, Caroline, Kai, Samuel, Kumi

9. Soseki’s lodging house in Matsuyama and his own house in Tokyo

10. Soseki was sent to Univ. of London by Japanese Government scholarship from 1900-1902 in order to bring back the advantages of modernization in England. However, he witnessed and learned the loneliness of modernization as a price for freedom, independence and individualism, which affected his works, especially “Kokoro.”.

11. Water painting by Soseki

12. Soseki studied at University of London (1900-1902)Sōseki's lodgings in Clapham, South London

13. 姜尚中 Kan San Judiscusses Soseki in his book 『悩む力』.Kan San Ju, a Korean, brought up in Japan and became Prof. of Tokyo Univ. Kan is the most respectful intellectual in Japan. He is familiar with Said, Soseki and Weber. His latest and sensational book “Nayamu Chikara” discusses the greatness of Soseki in comparison with Max Weber in terms of human inner agony and the value of worrying in life. Kan says, “I love Soseki by nature. I am from Kumamoto and there are many historical traces of Soseki in Kumamoto. I am a fan of Soseki ‘s works as he used to teach English at my high school in Kumamoto.

14. Works of Soseki

15. Sōseki's major works • Year Japanese title English title • 1905吾輩は猫であるWagahai wa Neko dearuI Am a Cat • 倫敦塔Rondon TōThe Tower of London薤露行Kairo-kōKairo-kō • 1906坊っちゃんBotchanBotchan草枕KusamakuraThe Three-Cornered • World (lit. The Grass Pillow)latest translation uses Japanese title • 趣味の遺伝Shumi no IdenThe Heredity of Taste, 二百十日 • Nihyaku-tōkaThe 210th Day • 1907虞美人草GubijinsōThe Poppy • 1908坑夫KōfuThe Miner夢十夜Yume Jū-yaTen Nights of Dreams • 三四郎 SanshirōSanshiro • 1909それからSorekaraAnd Then, a novel • 1910門MonThe Gate思ひ出す事などOmoidasu Koto nado • 1912彼岸過迄Higan Sugi MadeTo the Spring Equinox and Beyond • 行人KōjinThe Wayfarer • こころKokoroKokoroOne of the Masterpieces. (Q) WHY • 私の個人主義Watakushi no Kojin ShugiMy • Individualism A famous speech • 1915道草Michi KusaGrass on the Wayside硝子戸の中Garasu Do no • UchiInside My Glass Doors English translation, 2002 • 1916明暗Mei AnLight and Darkness, a novelUnfinished and died.

16. “Kokoro” represented in Movies. (Q)Why did he visit a grave of K, his best male friend every month?

17. “Kokoro” represented in Movies

18. “Kokoro” represented in Movies

19. “Kokoro” in Manga and Animation

20. The novel, “Kokoro” has always appeared in high school modern Japanese textbooks. “Kokoro” has been read and loved by almost all Japanese people for 98 years. (Q) Why?

21. (Q) What are the key words of this famous novel, “Kokoro”? • Kokoro, True way (精進）, Spiritual Aspiration • Individualism and Confucianism • Freedom and independence in Modernization and Filial piety in Confucianism • Guilt (Egoism) and Self-punishment (Suicide) • Spiritual aspiration (True Way) and Reality • Friendship and misanthropy, Divine punishment • Fatal Romantic love triangle • The power of love and jealousy • Dramatic irony and self-analysis • Loneliness in the modern world • Aloofness, isolation from worldly society • Trust and distrust, despair and revenge • The heart of Meiji in Japan • Money and its influence on human nature.

22. 主題　What are the themes of “Kokoro”? ①　What is human heart　こころ?Human weakness and human destiny in which we cannot live without human relationships, including love and friendship. ②The Testament is not only for Watshi but also for all the people (readers) at that time as universal lesson in life and a warning for modernization. (Kokoro has gone beyond time and space since since 1914. ③　Friendship and a string of compassion between Watshi and Sensei based on trust and respect beyond age and value systems. Sensei is a man in Meiji. Watshi is a new generation living in Taisho era which has more freedom and independence influenced by modernization. ④　Watashi deserves Sensei’s Testamentto get. Watshi got material life from his parents and got mental and spiritual life from Sensei.

23. 主題　What are the themes of “Kokoro”? ①　The psychological conflict between individualism and Confucianism. • (Sensei’s inner conflict between his Individualism and his collectivism influenced by Confucianism and traditional Japan in Meiji era) His individualism was influenced by his education at Tokyo Univ. Westernization and Modernization. • ② Guilt in Romantic Love Triangle and Self-punishment ③　The impossibility of romantic love and fragility of friendship involved in jealousy and egoism. • ④ Timeless psychological analysis of one man’s alienation from society in Meiji era influenced by Westernization and modernization.“Soseki’s intention” (Loneliness in modern world.) • ⑤ Soseki expresses 無常観 in human hearts through the changing attitudes of humans. • 無常観 (Nothing is immortal and perfect and everything is transit and changeable) • Ex. The attitude of the uncle, K and Sensei himself.

24. (Q) What is the charm魅力of the novel “Kokoro” ? • What are the prerequisite of great fiction? 1 Novel= novelty 2, romance involved in Hero and heroin, 3, The power of confession. Ex. ?? The power of confession echoes from person to person throughout the story. K’s confession of agonized love for Ojosan. Sensei’s inner confession of his passionate love for Ojosan Sensei’s Confession as a Testament as a Monologue and the final dialogue with Watashi.

25. ①　(Q) What is the charm魅力of the novel “Kokoro” ? • (Q) How many characters and personal names are there in Kokoro?(Q) Why are there the first person and second person often in the story? • ①　The narrator ＝ I (私　Watashi) • Do (Watashi) I represent the readers in Chapter III? • ②　Sensei ＝ the protagonist = Soseki himself ? • ③　K＝ Sensei’s best friend with lofty mind: the dark shadow of Sensei’s life • ④　Ojaosan（お嬢さん） honorable daughter • (Q)Why was she named 静? • Manifestation of traditional but modern woman in Meiji. • “ What also impressed me was that fact that though her ways were not those of an old-fashioned Japanese woman, she had not succumbed (yield) to the then prevailing fashion of using “modern” words. (p.37) • ⑤　Okusan（奥さん）= traditional Japanese woman, wife of Soldier (Samurai)

26. ② (Q) What is the charm of the Organization in “Kokoro” ? 私 =private person, personal hidden secret against public 公　 ①The narrator ＝ I (私　Watashi) = What Sensei used to be as an innocent young man with sincerity.昔の無垢な先生 ②Sensei (The protagonist) ③　K who used to be an ideal of Sesei became his enemy. The life story of three different men are interwoven in the narrative of “Kokoro” These three characters experienced their chosen individualism. Sensei said, “ My own past, which made me what I am, is a part of human experience. (p.247) (Q) What are the individualism of Sensei, K and I? ORGANIZATION: Soseki’s inner dialog in terms of monolog (His testament). 小説の最初の1行目　“I always called him “sensei.” I shall therefore refer to him simply as “Sensei”, not by his real name. (p1) This story is a dialog between Watashi, ( I ) and Sensei from the very beginning to the end until Sensei left this world. これは私が先生に出逢って、先生が死ぬまで私と先生のダイアローグ。

27. ORGANIZATION 　構成 Chapter 1 Sensei and I (p1-80) the encounter and friendship with Sensei Chapter 2 My parents and I (p.81-124) Family Chapter 3 Sensei and His Testament (p.125-248) As the book is narrated in the first person I, “Watashi” the reader feels immediately included in and participant of the story that unfold. The story engulfs human agony between friendship and romantic love. (these are human truth in life) The story shows moral guilt and divine punishment

28. ③(Q)What is the charm of the “Kokoro” as a novel based on Soseki’s intention ? (作者の意図） ①Appellation:The effect of appellation in the main character Kokoro: there is no real name except “Shizu”　静　which came from 静子、the wife of General Nogi who followed his husband to the grave. K is the initial of Kokoro. ???? Sensei’s dark shadow Sensei used “私” when he told his past to young “私” Sensei told his inner and hidden world in his Testament as “私” . This is Kokoro itself and the theme and title of the story. This is the depth of this novel and the charm of the organization and the flow of the story.

29. (Q)What is the charm of the “Kokoro” as a novel based on Soseki’s intention ? (作者の意図） ② Soseki succeeded the best dialogue between Sensei and I by using Sensei’s monologue. (A profound monologue enlivens the dialogue.) ③Soseki’s method of appellation came from Jorge Eliot. (ex. Mr. Fox ) Mr. Kaneda 金田　and his daughter Tomiko　富子 in “I am a Cat” Kiyo,　清 Bochan’s best nurse in “Bochan” ④先生は「私」になり、先生の純粋無垢な昔のような　大学生の「私」に「あなた」と語りかける。一人称、二人称の自問自答。これは漱石の禅宗の問答の影響。　The effect of the dialog between the first person and the second person based on Zen Buddhism which had an influence on Soseki.

30. (Q) What is the nature of Sensei? 先生の人格 A man capable of love, or I should say rather a man who was by nature incapable of not loving; but a man who could not (p.12) wholeheartedly accept the love of another –such a one was Sensei. • Aloofness, silence, Unapproachable person, misanthropy, • Not sociable but had a strong passion for love “Love affair is a kind of violent passion and later it will be a regret.” • Solitary way and alienation from society, pessimism • “It is not you in particular that I distrust, but the whole of humanity. I can hardly trust others. I do not even trust myself.” suspicious after his uncle’s deception (p.130) • “ This nature of mine led me not only to suspect the motives of individual persons but to doubt even the integrity of all mankind. • “You see, loneliness is the price we have to pay for being born in this modern age, so full of freedom, independence, and our own egotistical selves.” (P. 30) (Sensei is critical of modern age) • “Money. Give gentlemen money, and he will soon turn into a “rogue”

31. (Q) What does Sensei think about money? • When a man dies suddenly, his estate causes more trouble than anything else. • (P.60) • Under normal conditions, everybody is more or less good, or at least, ordinary. But tempt them, and they may suddenly change. That is what is so frightening about me. One must always be on one’s guard.” (p.61) • “Money, ofcourse. Give a gentleman money, and he will soon turn into a rogue.” (p.64)

32. Sensei and His Testament　②　親友　Ｋ (p.125-248) • What kind of person is K? How do you describe the personality of K? Okusan said htat K was an unapproachable sort of person. (p.178) Having grown up under the influence of Buddhist doctrines, he seemed to regard respect for material comfort as some kind of immorality.(p.176) Indeed, he seemed at times to think that mistreatment of the body was necessary for the glorification of the soul. (p.176) K used to say, “Anyone who has no spiritual aspirations is an idiot.” 精神的に向上心のない者は馬鹿だ。” This words has been echoed between K and Sensei. Consequently this word made K to decide his last action as the final blow by Sensei.

33. Sensei and His Testament　②　Ｋ (p.125-248) • K and I were friends from the time we were children p.166 • K and I entered the same faculty of Tokyo Univ. • K decided to go against his foster father’s wishes (becoming a medical doctor) and to follow his own inclinations. (p.170) Circumstances had so far made me sympathize with K; but now I was determined to stand by K, whether he was right or wrong. (p.171) • I became a monster of jealousy and got sick and K became humanized after K moved into. • K was expelled from his biological father’s house 勘当 • K used to say,” What was important , he said , was that he should become a strong person through the exercise of will-power. (p.173) • Sensei persuaded him to live with him in the same house. • Okusan said that I would later regret having brought such a person into the house. (P. 174) (Prediction of tragedy)

34. Plots of disinheritance K • K was the second son of a Buddhist priest of Jodo Shinshu.（浄土真宗）　 • K was an adopted son to become a doctor in the doctor’s family. But he used his money sent by the adopted family in order to study religion and philosophy at Tokyo Univ. to pursue “True Way.” He believed in that “Anyone who has no spiritual aspiration is idiot.” • His biological father punished him by barring him. (expulsion) • This later expulsion by hi adoptive father and biological father intensified K’s distrust of , disillusionment with, and contempt for the world and all humanity. • K was expelled from the family and no financial security. • K was also shocked by the fact that even his biological father cut his relationships and Snesei felt K was more hurtful. Deceit and disinheritance breed both sympathy and distrust.

35. (Q) What are the views of Sensei’s romantic love? • In all the world I know only one woman. No woman but my wife move me as a woman. And my wife regards me as the only man for her. From this point of view, we should be the happiest of couples. (p.21) • Do you know that there is guilt also in loving? (p.26) • “The friendship that you sought in me is in reality a preparation for the love that you will seek in a woman.”(p.27) • “--that true love is not so far removed from religious faith. Whenever I saw Ojosan’s face, I felt that I had myself become beautiful. Whenever I thought of her, I felt a new sense of dignity welling up inside me. If this incomprehensible thing that we call love can either bring out the sacred in man or, in its lowest form, merely excite one’s bodily passions, then surely my love was of the highest kind. I am made of flesh too. But my eyes which gazed at her, and my mind which held thoughts of her, were innocent of bodily desire. (p.154)　肉を越える神聖な恋

36. Gender Romantic love Triangles Sensei warmly welcomed K into his lodging house in order to humanize, socialize K and restore his human trust which both of them lost in their family drama. However, serious discord occurred when both Sensei and K fell in love with Ojosan. Imbroglio came about when the irrational jealousy haunted Sensei and he became a green monster like Othello. Sensei tried to destroy K’s hope and human restoration in order to win the love of Ojosan.

37. Gender Romantic love Triangles in the Novel of Natsume SosekiSorekara (And Then, 1909)

38. Gender Romantic love Triangles in the Novel of Natsume SosekiMon (Gate, 1910)

39. Gender Romantic love Triangles in the Novel of Natsume SosekiKojin ‘The Wayfarer, 1913

40. (Q) What are similarities between Sensei and K? ①　Both are from the same country, Nigata Prefecture, Japan Sea area ② Both went to the same secondary school and University of Tokyo ③　Sensei and K had Family Drama and traumatic disinheritance • Sensei: Traumatic disinheritance which brought him distrust of men. • Personal integrity and family pride were endangered and threatened • Mistreatment by his uncles and relatives. • K: K was totally expelled by his adoptive and biological fathers, financially, socially and institutionally . • Disillusioned by his own family, Sensei is drawn to and stands by his similarly disillusioned friend, K. ④　Both were brought up in ethical context, especially K was the second son of the 浄土真宗 priest family. “I was born an ethical creature and I was brought up to be an ethical man.” (p. 128) • Both fell in love with Ojosan • Both died on his own will. • The only difference was that Sensei was loved by his parents before they died of typhoid fever almost at the same time when Sensei was 18 years old before going to Tokyo.

41. Shizu (静), Ojosan’s entity and Verbal Power(Q) Is “Kokoro” a romantic love story as a pretext for male-male intimacy? (Q) Is this a story about men’s courtship of Ojosan and friendship with each other ended tragically narrated by a young man (Watakushi)? (Q) Was she just a Sensei’s beautiful but constantly infantilized wife? This characterization derives from the simple fact that there are two male narｒators, Watakushi and Sensei, and no self-characterization by Shizu. Some literary critics said Shizu(静） is just quiet, peaceful and still just like her own name, which was named after by Soseki. Soseki was aware of the name of 静子, the wife of Genral Nogi who followed him after his death following Meiji Emperor. Koji’s veiw of Shizu: Shizu’s verbal implication proved that she seemed to know Sensei’s agony, his strong will to die and almost everything, except K’s confession of love for her to Sensei. When Sensei said that the spirit of the Meiji era ended with the Emperor’s death and Sensei and others were left behind to live as anachronisms, Shizu suggestged, “ Well then, junshi, is the solution to your problem.( p.245) (Junshi,　殉死 means following one’s lord to the grave)

42. (Q)What is the spirit of Meiji? 　明治の精神?Rectitude, honesty and loyalty, especially national , social and family loyalty. Bushido is based on the harmony between Zen Buddhism 禅仏教and Shintoism 神道(loyalty, respect for ancestors and filial piety) and Confucianism儒教　 Ｒｅｃｔｉｔｕｄｅ 義　（ぎ）Ｒｅｓｐｅｃｔ　尊敬（そんけい） Ｃｏｕｒａｇｅ勇　ゆう　Ｂｅｎｅｖｏｌeｎｃｅ　仁　（じん） Honor　名誉　（めいよ）Honesty　誠　（まこと） Loyalty　忠（ちゅう）　 Politeness 礼 （れい） Benevolence is man’s mind and Rectitude is his path. Indeed, neither Shakespeare nor the Old Testament itself contains an adequate rendering of Ko (孝）, our conception of filial piety, and yet in such conflicts, Bushido never wavered in its choice of loyalty.　 （Nitobe, 1900) Loyalty includes the duty of loyalty to nation state as well as filial piety to each parents. The sprit of Meiji is national, social and family loyalty and filial piety based on Bushido and Confucianism.

43. (Q) What is “True Way”?(Spiritual Purification)Enlightenment and purification in Buddhism Nothingness is seen not as a state of non-existence as opposed to existence but as an absolute, transcending the opposition of existence and none-existence, or as an ideal and absolute human state identical to religious enlightenment (Satori) 悟り To eliminate all human desire and reach the stage of enlightenment, it is necessary to realize that all is empty, transient and mutable. Worldly Passion and desires lead human beings into delusion, suffering and anger. The way to emancipate ourselves from the bond of worldly passion and desires. 1. We can feel peace of mind only if our mind can get rid of limitless worldly passion and desires. The causes of delusion and suffering are rooted in the mind’s desires for what we do not have and attachments to possessiveness and materialism. People should learn endurance: they should learn to endure the discomforts of heat and cold, hunger and thirst. They should learn to be patient when receiving abuse and scorn. People should learn to see and to avoid all danger. We should not make friends with evil men. (The teaching of Buddha 1996) You can thin k of “True way” in terms of K’s pet theory;” Anyone who has no spiritual aspiration is an idiot.)

44. The power of Confession　① • K confessed to Sensei his love for Ojosan at the cost of their friendship. 　友情の危機を犠牲にしてまで、恋のために告白。 • (Q) Why did K confess his love for Ojosan to Sensei? • 1. K’s honesty, loyalty and trust with Sensei. • 2 To prevent the loss of friendship • 3 examining their friendship • K might feel or assume Sensei’s display of jealousy is simply a response to K’s shift of affection from their male friendship to a romantic attachment. Ｋは先生に対するＫの友情が女性への愛でなくなることへの嫉妬と理解していたかも知れない。Ｋは先生を信頼していた。

45. The power of Confession　② • (Q) Sensei did not confess his love for the same woman when K confessed his love. Why? • (Q) Why did Sensei hid his feeling and thereby betraying his friendship with K? • 1. Sensei’s inferiority to K • 2 Sensei’s fear that K might ridicule or despise him. • 3. Not to test K but actually to destroy his rival K. • (I confess to you that what I was trying to do was for more cruel than mere revenge. I wanted to destroy whatever hope there might have been in his love for Ojosan. (p.214) • 4. Sensei angered that K chose woman rather than friendship by confessing his love for Ojosan. This goest against K’s conviction that “ Anyone who has no spiritual aspiration is an idiot.” • And K seemed to abandon his claims to “The True Way” of spirituality and thus to betray his own moral self.

46. The Power of Confession without confession　③ (Q) Sensei did not tell K his love for Ojoansa. Why? I told myself that I should be honest with K, and tell him that I too had fallen in love with Ojosan. (p.205) I thought I could hear a voice whispering into my ear:” You ‘ll never get rid of him…”Perhaps I was beginning to think of him as a kind of devil. Once, I even had the feeling that he would haunt me for the rest of my life.” (p.207) 一生呪う He needs kind words, as dry land needs rain. I believe I was born with a compassionate heart. But I was not my usual self then. (p.213)　先生は嫉妬のためにいつもの先生でなかった。 Sensei could not open the sliding door which divided Sensei’s room and K’s room. The door represents the wall of human weakness, not only physically but also mentally. Soseki made most of the power of confession and confession without confession throughout the story, Kokoro.

47. 第一部　①Sensei and I (p1-80) • (Q) Why did Sensei attract me more than professors at Tokyo Univ? My irresistible desire to become closer to Sensei comes from his loneliness and unapproachable quality. • I feel a certain pride and happiness in the fact that my intuitive fondness for Sensei was later shown to have not been in vain. A man capable of love, or I should say rather a man who was by nature incapable of not loving; but a man who could not wholeheartedly accept the love ofanother-such a one was Sensei. (p.12) • “I can live with my loneliness, quietly.” (p.15) • “Divine punishment.” Sensei answered, (p.17)

48. ②Sensei and I (p1-80) • I should never have noticed him (sensei) had he not been accompanied by a Westerner. (P.3) (The sign of Westernization)　　西洋人と一緒 • His attitude seemed somewhat unsociable. He was always aloof, …he seemed totally indifferent to his surroundings. (P.5)　　孤独で孤高な人 • The sea stretched, wide and blue, all around us, and there seemed to be no one near us. P6. ( I could enter Sensei’s world distant from the seashore) “That was the beginning of our friendship.” (p.6) 　友情 • It was then that I began to call him “Sensei.” (p.6)　　先生と呼ぶこと • I would perhaps find in him those things that I looked for. (P. 8) • 先生の孤独な人格の中に自分を引き付け、自分が求めていたものがある。 • I behaved quite so simply towards others. I did not understand then why it was that I should behave thus towards Sensei only. But now , when Sensei is dead, I am beginning to understand. It was not that Sense dislike me at first. His curt and cold ways were not designed to express his dislike to me, but they were meant rather as a warning to me that I would not want him as a friend. It was because he despise himself that he refused to accept openheartedly the intimacy of others. I feel great pity for him. (P.8) • 　先生が死んだ今、私は先生の人を避ける孤独が理解できる。

49. ③Sensei and I (Friendship?) (p1-80) • It was Sensei’s custom to take flowers to a certain grave in the cemetery at Zoushigaya (p.9) (every month to K’s grave) • P. 68 is the concluding part of the first chapter which leads us to chapter 2 and especially the last chapter, “Sensei’s Testament.” • (Q) Why did Sensei reconfirm his friendship with me as follows? • Sensei’s face was pale. “ I wonder if you are being really sincere, “ he said, “Because of what happened to me, I have come to doubt everybody. In truth I should like to have one friend that I can truly trst. I wonder if you can be that friend. Are you really sincere? (p.63) • “I have been true to you, Sensei.” I said, “unless my whole life has been a lie.” (p.63) • This conversation was proved in the last chapter p. 128. • For Watashi I, his father is a biological father and Sensei became his spiritual father in life.

50. Sensei and I (Friendship?) (p 128) • In truth, if there had not been such a person as you, my past would never have become known, even indirectly , to anyone. To you alone, then, among the millions of Japanese, I wish to tell my past. For you are sincere; and because once you said in all sincerity that you wished to learn from life itself. (P. 128) • Now, I myself am about to cut open my own heart, and drench your face with my blood. And I shall be satisfied it, when my heart stops beating, a new life lodges itself in your breast. (p. 129) • (Q) What does this sentence reminds you of ?