In his semi-autobiographical novel, Confessions of a Mask, Yukio Mishima examines the struggle for acceptance by a man living outside of the socially accepted norms. A motif that strongly pervades this novel is death and the images of blood associated with it. Kochan, a Japanese adolescent living in post-war Japan, struggles with his homosexuality and his desire to be “normal.” In order to survive, he must hide behind a mask of propriety.
At a young age, Kochan shows signs of being attracted to male beauty. His earliest memory is of a young night-soil man “with handsome ruddy cheeks and shining eyes” (8). Initially, his attraction to men is confused with a desire to be like them. Referring to the young night-soil man, Kochan remembers thinking, “I want to change into him. I want to be him” (9). However, as his life continues to take its course, he slowly realizes that his admiration for other men is actually love.
When he first begins to appreciate male beauty, he develops an affinity for blood and death. This association may …
Crime and Punishment – My name is Raskolnikov
Crime and Punishment – My name is Raskolnikov
It is obvious that Raskolnikov did not kill Alyona. Nikolai did. He confessed, didn’t he? Sure, sure, I know what you’re saying: Raskolnikov confessed too. But it is obvious that his confession was not a true confession. Raskolnikov had seen Nikolai’s true confession, and was so moved that he decided he’d like to try confessing too. And one must not overlook the Christ symbolism in the novel. Raskolnikov is the obvious Christ-figure; he’s poor, he’s generous, he’s schizophrenic. It all adds up. Raskolnikov is Christ’s second incarnation but nobody realizes it’s Him. Kind of sad. One should not overlook Raskolnikov’s superior man theory. Nikolai, on the other hand, is the scum of the earth. He’s a minor character, and minor characters always commit murders in books. What else do they have to do? One should not only look at the psychology of the characters in the novel, but of the author as well. Dostoevsky wouldn’t write a story about some vile murderer. No. Dostoevsky was a good Christian writer. C