“A Personal Matter” by
Kenzaburo Oe is a novel of lost illusions, of a lost freedom, and about an
unwilling sacrifice one will have to agree for in order to achieve stability.
The early [1]1960s is still marked by
post-war period in Japan
but also by transformations, the development, the independence. The
independence is what the main character of the novel loses – Bird is going to
be a father – when he finally becomes one he finds out that nothing is all
crack up to be. His dreams of better future are ruined. Bird tries to find a
way to escape from responsibility – the child and its birth (not easy one)
seems to be a burden, Bird doesn't need one, so he escapes, avoids
confrontation. The relation of father – child is distracted, it must be
rebuilt, it must be strong; however there’s one thing that halts the whole
process – the past, the past must be left behind, unfortunately, our hero,
cannot leave it alone. The main hero is a dreamer, he dreams of visiting
far away lands, he dreams of going to Africa, it is what the book starts from –
his visits a book store, where he looks at maps, books, Africa
guide books, perhaps. He realizes that the parenthood eases his dreams and starts sacrifice, it means an end of his “independent” thinking. Nonetheless, he is
interested how the birth is going on, he calls the hospital, he wants to know …
but still he wonders why …, eventually it took longer than expected. The book
presents the conflict – between the duty, obedience and freedom, escapism. The
threat from unknown is obvious, Bird is afraid of his newly born child, whose
birth was not an easy one, and who suffers brain damage. Bird knows that the there is
a double sacrifice, a double care involved, maybe a double love given to make “it”
happy, he thinks “it” but means a child deep inside. The novel doesn't turn to
Western patterns, it is a typical Japanese perspective and outlook on life. It
gives us a sublime description of what is seen, felt, hidden and unspoken. The book
emphasis love, hate, all kinds of desires. What is the most important here is a
notion of disability, sacrifice, fear, and feeling of loss. Oe shows us a typical [2]Japanese
society of post-war period. The novel present the traditional culture, the
traditional Japanese approach toward life and everyday matters. The image the
reader is given reading the lines is exact of what Japan was at the time in the
1960s – it is enough to mention Abe’s novel “Woman in the Dunes” to
differentiate the factors, of what is welcome and unwelcome, the hostility and
fear from something new (here a newcomer, an anthropologist). Oe novel shows
closed society, closed sets of values that no one can change, no one can break, yet,
to fit in or leave. At the very
beginning it was written that Bird a young man, a teacher, is lost and
confused, the child he is waiting for is
perceived as a big challenge, a great disillusionment. He is unhappy man, bored
with his monotonous life, repetitive routine. Ha had always dreamed of adventures,
of a better life, which is now ( because of the baby) out of reach. The baby is
ill, “abnormal” - he tries to understand
the message he was given, but, after some time he just;
“…shuts
his eyes tight and tries to submerge in the warmth of his bed, as if by denying
reality he could instantly banish it. But nothing changed…”
The baby is an
indicator of an adulthood, of a responsibility one have to take care of.
The
child symbolizes “parenthood’s maturity”. Even though he feels disappointment
he loves the child, he is very outraged hearing one of the doctors' comments –
describing [3]a child as a monster, as a deformed creature. The child is having a brain hernia,
it must be operated, and its life is at stake! Parents agree to take it to the University Hospital
“…"I've
leaped to highest wall first, I should be able to clear all the hurdles of
shame now, like a track man in infinite time." (85). In spite of a sense
of disgust and self-pity, the act of coition frees him from suicidal spirit to
some extent and he eventually says, "But I won't commit suicide"..”
Everyone decides
for himself, the decisions are taken, he nods, however, he feels it is taken behind his back, he tries to rebel, he tries to contradict;
“…I
must forbid them to operate, otherwise the baby will march into my world like
an occupying army…”
He knows the
child will take his all time, all his energy, all his dreams, all his desires,
it will be a total, unconditional sacrifice. He takes the baby to the obstetrician's clinic, leaves the University Hospital
“…If
I die in accident now before I save the baby, my whole twenty seven years of
life will have meant exactly nothing…”
He saved his
child and he is very proud of what he gained, a maturity, a respect from older members
of the community, wife. He doesn't dream of going to Africa any longer, he wants
to stay where he is, for his son, for his family, he wants to be a distant
citizen. The novel is filled with symbols; Africa
stand for lack of responsibility, an escape from real world, it represents an
imaginative world which has to be left behind. It is a destruction that must be
forgotten. Disability is also a symbol, it stands for fear, rejection and also
determination. Disability presents and reflects the cruelty of the society, the
cruelty of doctors who laugh out of the deformed child, it condemns the bureaucratic
system. The change that happened inside
Bird saved his son from certain death, his humane attitude saved them both. Oe presents
a new genre so-called “coming-of-age”. It is a way to adulthood, it takes
steps, it takes time, it underlines the values of the body, it sexuality,
it importance, the changes of the human character from emotional dryness to
emotional responsibility. A protagonist is not self—cantered, he or she becomes
aware of others, a responsible, mature, adult, who finally finds its place in modern
developing and rapidly changing society.
[1] The 1960s are very important in Japan , Honda introduces its forts car in 1963, Eisaku
Sato becomes the prime minister, the Tokyo
[2] This
period is marked by rapid economical recovery, the family size became smaller,
the number of men decreased, nonetheless, there was a huge growth of marriages
shortly after the II World War, 1948-1965 – Japan experienced “baby boom” –
regardless of destructive consequences of atomic bombs, young people wanted to
marry, wanted to build a “new Japan”. Economical development and economical prosperity
of post-war Japan didn't halt the poverty, which was seen and felt in many regions in Japan ,
especially, the rural ones.
[3] Unfortunately,
many children in Japan
suffered from Acute Radiation Syndrome, the radiation disease was lethal,
inborn deformations irreversible. Many of them died of cancer and other diseases.
Those who lived were lucky.
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