Skand essay

Textually cohesive works of literature emotionally provoke audiences to more deeply consider
[THROUGH SELF-REFLECTION, EVALUATION … ADAPT] the composer’s aesthetic decision to
bring characters to life through an authentic voice, [q]. Drawing upon the conservative socio-political
division of Thatcher’s Britain, Kazuo Ishiguro’s postmodern novel An Artist of the Floating World (1986)
explores the conflict between the divergently selective ways of thinking during periods of upheaval and
its impact on individual identity. In the context of a fractured Japanese psyche post WW2, Ishiguro’s
representation of Ono’s anachronistic narration depicts the fallibility of one’s memory as they grapple
with personal guilt and shame. In turn, Ishiguro accentuates how Ono’s unwillingness to undergo honest
self-reflection aggravates intergenerational conflict with post war “New Japan”. Ultimately, through
exploring the role of art amidst the changing zeitgeist of post-war Japan, Ishiguro invites us to reflect on
one’s inability to change when faced with war’s intergenerational impacts. Thus, it is Ishiguro’s unity of
[q] that grants his novel the ability to transcend contextual boundaries and resonate throughout time.

● Ishiguro explores how the desire to obscure culpability for one’s past actions allows them to
construct a positive self-image in a superficial manner [q].
● Ishiguro utilises Ono’s selective narration as a means of this obscuration, depicted through
[EXTRACT].
● Typifying the postmodern rejection of a singular, controlling narrative, Ishiguro uses a non-linear
narrative structure to expose Ono's unreliable and selective reshaping of his past, veiling his
rueful, propagandist nature. Particularly, the second-person address in his appraisal of his house,
"stand[s] out from all others nearby… you may find yourself wondering what sort of wealthy man
owns it,", compels readers to question the veracity of his accounts and demonstrates the fracturing
of memory and truth before a grapple with generational trauma.
● Furthering the assertion that the gaps and silences in Ono’s selective narration are a ‘mechanism
of self-deception to bury unwelcome memories,’ the ellipsis in his recount that the “1931”
Arakawa tram lines enabled “easy access to calmer… surroundings” hints at Ono’s deliberate
omission of his son Kenji’s “hopeless charge across the battlefield” in the 1931 Manchurian
invasion, accentuating the human tendency to obscure guilt [q].
● Consequently, it is the tendency to obscure culpability which leads to Ono’s comfort in the
vestiges of pre-war Japan. This is symbolised by Mrs Kawakami’s bar, in the juxtaposition where
she “could point out numerous changes” but Ono steadfastly insists “her little place looked much
the same,” highlights the human instinct to delude oneself and cling nostalgically to the glorified
past [q].
● Thus, [layer excerpt quotes + question]

● Ishiguro reveals how such a nostalgic clinging to the past amidst changing social paradigms can
create intergenerational conflict and isolation[EXTRACT]. He parallels the societal upheaval in
1980’s Thatcherite Britain to shifting values in an Americanising post-WW2 Japan, [q].
● Ishiguro illustrates the conflict of governmental values in the ongoing battle between traditional
imperialism and the capitalist American regimes. Particularly Ono’s collectivism, in his response
to Suichi’s outburst, in “all men of Miyake’s and Suichi’s generation have come to think and
speak like that,” which highlights the righteous perception of values differing generations carry.
 ● Mirroring the disjunction in work-life values Ono faced growing up, straddled between his
business sided parents and their disapproval of his artistic passion, Ishiguro employs Suichi as
Ono’s foil character to emphasise the post-war generation’s cultural Japanese values. Suichi’s
belief that “It’s better [Ichiro] likes cowboys than that he idolises people like Miyamoto Musashi”
is metonymic for the increasing control of Americanisation on Japan’s younger generation [q].
● [Ishiguro illustrates the shifting family dynamics through Setsuko’s ever-shorter visits, displaying
a cultural shift from Imperial values of loyalty to the Americanised nuclear family, in the
metaphor where “her visit this year was so brief,” highlighting one’s loss of societal importance
as a result of the loss of patriarchy in the newly westernised culture.]
● Ishiguro demonstrates how the Americanised push for unity leads to cyclical, nationwide conflict,
explaining that the clashing values that cause intergenerational conflict will surface continually
between future generations. This is reflected in Ono’s lack of respect for his father’s work,
through the sarcasm in “I nevertheless lived in dread of the next ‘business meeting’,” a conflict in
interest which is ironically present in his children as they too have little sympathy for Ono’s
values.
● Thus, whilst highlighting the isolation faced by individuals in a conflicting nation resulting from
the discrepancy in values, Ishiguro highlights the cyclical effects of intergenerational conflict.

● Ultimately, Ishiguro illustrates Ono’s human struggle to accept change as the novel delves into
how art reflects his opportunism [EXTRACT]. Ishiguro reflects the dichotomy between the rising
nationalism of Hirohito’s reign (1926-1989) and the new democratic constitutions under the
American Occupation, [q].
● This notion is elucidated by Ishiguro’s metonymic “Hirayama Boy,” who is “beaten up” and
labelled an “idiot” by the younger generation for singing “old military songs,” mirroring Japan’s
revisionist attitudes of exonerating itself of its pre-war past, [q]. This is juxtaposed with Ono’s
metaphoric perception of the Hirayama Boy as “quite harmless,” reflecting Ono’s unwillingness
to revise his identity and condemn the nationalistic beliefs he once espoused, [q].
● Yet, Ishiguro demonstrates how the aesthetically symbolic nature of art allows for Ono to nurture
a different outlook upon Japan’s societal and political progression whilst introspecting on the role
of the propagandist art he participated in. Particularly, as Ono laments the conversion of ukiyo-e
art into westernised commercial art in the ultranationalist allusion “My conscience, Sensei, tells
me I cannot remain forever an artist of the floating world,” highlighting the power of art’s ability
to alter one’s political and social values.
● However, Ono’s inability to embrace the change in perspective gained from art is exemplified in
his fear that Mori-San would dismiss his prestigious accolades, where the irony in “I did not go
any further towards the villa that day, simply sat outside eating my oranges,” accentuates how
rather than accepting the change of artistic advancements, Ono contemplates his own perception
in his own world, hinting that his change was more so superficial than anything.

Thus, the excerpt and AOFW highlight [q]. Ishiguro, through his postmodern revisionist lens, reveals the
conflict that arises as new structures of control challenge the old but ultimately demonstrates the cyclical
nature in which regimes in control are bound to make the same mistakes.
Eric essay
Through a critical study of texts, it is evident that whilst the aesthetic decisions of an author are
inherent in bringing characters to life through the creation of an authentic voice, it is only in
conjunction with universal concerns and complex dilemmas that one can truly create value
within a text. Kazuo Ishiguro’s postmodern novel An Artist of the Floating World (1987) draws
upon the socio-political division of Thatcherite Britain to explore the way in which the inability
to reconcile past uncertainties leads to intergenerational conflict and the subsequent inability to
accept change. Thus, it is Ishiguro’s unity of postmodern aesthetic qualities and universal
thematic concerns that grants his novel enduring value and textual integrity.

Ishiguro elucidates insight into how Ono’s use of unreliable narration stems from his desire to
avoid culpability for his past actions, allowing him to construct a false, honourable persona that
shields him from the shifting societal values of new Japan, [q]. Typical of the postmodern
rejection of a singular, objective narrative, Ishiguro utilises a non-linear narrative structure to
delve into the way memory and thereby truth become distorted as one struggles to reconcile their
past misdeeds within a changing society. Ishiguro urges audiences to question the authenticity of
Ono’s delineations during the appraisal of his house, “stand[s] out from all others nearby… you
may find yourself wondering what kind of wealthy man owns it,” thereby elevating his status
through the symbol of his home, revealing him to be an unreliable narrator who selectively
reshapes his personal narrative in a more favourable light. In addition, the ‘gaps and silences’ in
Ono’s narration demonstrates how Ono’s deliberate self-deception acts as a means to inhume the
painful memories of the past, [q]. This is evident in Ono’s recount, “... it was 1931 when the
present lines began to operate,” where the ellipsis of his son Kenji’s, “hopeless charge across the
battlefield,” during the 1931 invasion of Manchuria draws attention to the way in which he
absolves himself of the propagandistic guilt linked to Japan’s nationalistic past endeavours, [q].
Ultimately, Ishiguro reveals how it is the inability to confront one’s past misdeeds that drives
individuals to seek comfort through the shaping of inauthentic realities. This notion is
accentuated through the symbol of Mrs Kawakami’s bar, where the juxtaposition between the
“numerous changes” and Ono’s insistence that “her little place looked much the same,” denotes
the human tendency to delude oneself and cling to glorified memories of the past. Thus,
Ishiguro’s postmodern pastiche of fragmented memories delineates the way memory can be
tainted by personal paradigms, [q].

Following an individual’s lack of identity in a changing world, Ishiguro reveals how the inability
to change in the midst of shifting social paradigms can lead to intergenerational conflict and
isolation, [q]. This portrait on intergenerational conflicts and anxieties is powerfully represented
in Ishiguro’s depiction of the tumultuous imperial rule of American-occupied Japan and the
radical shift in generational values from nationalistic patriotism to Western democratic values.
This tension is denoted through Ono’s collectivistic attitude, “all men of Miyake’s and Suichi’s
generation have come to think and speak like that,” demonstrating the righteousness that
different generations hold in the face of their values being challenged, [q]. The influence of the
cultural zeitgeist is further reflected by the shift in familial values, where Setsuko’s shortening
visits prompt Ono to remark, “her visit this year was so brief,” metaphorically conveying the
departure from traditional values such as loyalty and respect towards the Western-prescribed
nuclear family and thereby conveying the loss of importance that results from such changes.
Ishiguro demonstrates how this intergenerational conflict is amplified by the older generation’s
refusal to accept culpability for the past, [q]. This is manifested through Suichi’s condemnatory
tone, “Brave young men die… and the real culprits are still with us,” juxtaposing with Ono’s
perspective, “but Kenji, died very bravely,” illustrating his continued adherence to outdated
ideals and the Bushido sacrificial tradition, cementing Ono’s unwillingness to accept
accountability. Additionally, Ishiguro crafts Ono’s character foil of Suichi to capture the
widening disjunction between the values of the younger and older generations, [q]. Suichi’s
historical allusion, “It’s better [Ichiro] likes cowboys than that he idolises people like Miyamoto
Musashi,” signals the erosion of the traditional Japanese sensibilities of obedience and
hierarchical responsibility, portraying Ono’s growing isolation due to his conflicting beliefs.
Hence, by depicting a portrait of national uncertainty, Ishiguro portrays sweeping generational
division, [q].

Finally, Ishiguro explores Ono’s recognisable struggle to accept change, revealing the cyclicality
of societal and political turmoil, [q]. Ishiguro reflects the dichotomy between the rising
nationalism of Hirohito’s reign and the new democratic constitutions under American occupation
to denote the enduring struggle to find value and meaning within an ever-changing world. This
notion is manifested through Ishiguro’s metonymic “Hirayama boy,” who is “beaten up” and
labelled an “idiot” by the younger generation for singing “old military songs,” reflecting Japan’s
revisionist desire to expunge itself of its pre-war past, [q]. This is juxtaposed with Ono’s
perception of the Hirayama boy as “quite harmless,” metaphorically representing his inability to
reconcile a new identity separate from his pre-war values. As such, Ono’s inability to change
relegates him to a liminal position as he vacillates between his moral responsibilities and
self-justification, elucidated through the motif of the “Bridge of Hesitation”, [q]. The irony in
Ono’s assertion, “I am to be seen up on that bridge, leaning thoughtfully against the rail, it is not
that I am hesitating,” underscores his prideful nature and seclusion, resonating with Ishiguro’s
perspective that individuals experience increasing disconnection and isolation if they are unable
to adapt to changing cultural backdrops. Consequently, Ishiguro subverts Ono’s optimism in the
novel’s denouement by alluding to the Korean War in, “June 1950,” demonstrating how despite
the younger generation’s efforts to exonerate their nation of its past mistakes, the cycle of
violence and suffering is ultimately perpetuated with each passing generation. This is further
accentuated through Dr Saito’s allegory of Japan as a “young boy learning to walk again,” [link
to question]. Thus, [q].

Ishiguro’s Artist of the Floating World and the excerpt highlights the ever-enduring struggle to
find identity within a “floating world” that is constantly in flux, [q]. Hence, it is his unison of
both aesthetic qualities and universal concerns that conveys the complex dilemmas that stem
from a reconciliation of one’s identity, which leads to intergenerational conflict and reveals the
inability to change.
MOD B BASE ESSAY

Introduction
● Kazuo Ishiguro’s postmodern novel An Artist of the Floating World (1987) draws upon the
socio-political division of Thatcherite Britain to explore the perennial concerns over [q].
● This notion is largely echoed in the excerpt, [Quote] as it [Link to thesis].
● Set in the “Floating World” of post WW2 Japan, Ishiguro’s anachronistic novel delves into [q]
Introduce ideas - fallibility of memory, intergenerational conflict, and the struggle to accept
change
● Thus, it is Ishiguro’s unity of content and form in [Extract] that grants his novel textual integrity.

Para 1: Unreliable Narrator

● Ishiguro examines how Ono’s unreliable narration of the past is driven by a desire to obscure
culpability for his past actions, allowing him to construct a positive self-image in a world in which
these are challenged [q].
● [Extract link with quote].
● Typifying the postmodern rejection of a singular, controlling narrative, Ishiguro’s use of a
non-linear narrative structure suggests how memory and thereby the truth becomes fractured
as Ono grapples with his past trauma, [q]. This compels readers to question the veracity of Ono’s
accounts as he praises that his house, metonymic for his status, “stand[s] out from all others
nearby… you may find yourself wondering what sort of wealthy man owns it,” revealing Ono to
be an unreliable narrator who selectively reshapes his past more favourably.
● Moreover, the ‘gaps and silences’ in Ono’s narration suggest how Ono’s self-deception acts as a
means to evade his painful past, [q]. This is evident in Ono’s recount, “it was 1931 when the
present lines began to operate,” where Ono’s elision of his son Kenji’s “hopeless charge across
the minefield” in the 1931 invasion of Manchuria reflects how Ono excuses and dissimulates his
propagandistic guilt within Japan’s misguided past, [q].
● In addition, Ishiguro’s symbol of Mrs Kawakami’s bar reflects how Ono seeks comfort through the
selective idealisation of the past, where the juxtaposition between the “numerous changes” that
Mrs Kawamaki observes and Ono’s insistence that “her little place looked much the same”
highlights the innate human tendency to delude the self and cling nostalgically to a glorified
version of the past. [q].
● Thus, [layering excerpt quotes + question].

Para 2: Intergenerational Conflict

● Ishiguro reveals how such a nostalgic clinging to the past amidst changing social paradigms can
create intergenerational conflict [q].
● Ishiguro parallels the period of drastic economic change and societal upheaval in Thatcher’s
Britain to shifting values in a radically Americanising post-WW2 Japan
● [Extract link with quote].
 ● The influence of this Americanisation is reflected by the shift in familial values, evidenced by
Ono’s observation that Setsuko’s “visit this year was so brief,” metaphorically conveying a
cultural shift from the traditional values of loyalty and respect within a hierarchical family
structure towards the Western model of the insular nuclear family, [q].
● Moreover, Ono’s character foil of Suichi underscores the younger generation’s rejection of
traditional cultural values, [q]. Suichi’s belief that “it’s better [Ichiro] likes cowboys than that he
idolises people like Miyamoto Musashi” signals the erosion of traditional Japanese values of
deference and hierarchical responsibility - symbolised through Ishiguro’s historical allusion to the
famous Japanese samurai Musashi - and the increasing adoption of the American values of
freedom and independence. This disjunction in cultural values evokes Ishiguro’s liminality
between Japanese and Western values following his early immigration to the United Kingdom,
[q].
● In addition, Ishiguro reveals that this intergenerational hostility is amplified by the older
generation’s refusal to admit responsibility for their past, [q]. This is highlighted through the
juxtaposition between Suichi’s condemnatory tone “sending brave young men die for stupid
causes, and the real culprits are still with us” and Ono’s resolute perspective “but Kenji, like
many others, died very bravely”, cementing Ono’s unwillingness to accept accountability as he
grasps onto past ideals and the Bushido sacrificial tradition, [q].
● Thus, [layering excerpt quotes + question].

Para 3: Inability to Change

● Ultimately, Ishiguro illustrates Ono’s recognisably human struggle to accept change as the novel’s
ambiguous conclusion hints to a structural recurrence of societal and political upheaval, [q].
● Ishiguro reflects the dichotomy and ensuing conflict between the rising nationalism of Hirohito’s
reign (1926-1989) and the new democratic constitutions under the American Occupation, [q].
● [Excerpt link with quote].
● This notion is elucidated by Ishiguro’s metonymic “Hirayama Boy,” who is “beaten up” and
labelled an “idiot” by the younger generation for singing “old military songs,” mirroring Japan’s
revisionist attitudes of absolving itself of its pre-war past, [q]. This is juxtaposed with Ono’s
metaphoric perception of the Hirayama Boy as “quite harmless,” reflecting Ono’s unwillingness
to revise his identity and condemn the nationalistic beliefs he once espoused, [q].
● In turn, Ono’s inability to accept change relegates him to a liminal position of indecision, as
symbolised by Ishiguro’s motif of the “Bridge of Hesitation,” [q]. The irony in Ono’s assertion that
“I am to be seen up on that bridge, leaning thoughtfully against the rail, it is not that I am
hesitating” underscores Ono’s hypocrisy and self-deception, solidifying Ishiguro’s belief that
individuals experience increasing disconnection and alienation if they are unable to adapt to
changing societal milieus, [q].
● In addition, the optimistic tone in the novel’s denouement, “One can only wish these young
people well,” is ironically subverted by Ishiguro’s sinister historical allusion to the Korean War
with the chapter title “June 1950.” Despite the younger generation’s attempts to absolve Japan
of its past mistakes, Ishiguro suggests that political violence with each generation is inevitable -
 Dr Saito’s allegory of Japan as a “young boy learning to walk again” hints at an underlying
historical cyclicality, [q].
● Indeed, the ambiguity of Ishiguro’s allusion lends itself to the readers’ interpretation, cementing
the enduring value of his text as different interpretations arise from a reader’s unique context
throughout time.
● Thus, [layering excerpt quotes + question].

Conclusion
● Thus, Ishiguro’s AOFW and the excerpt highlight [q].
● Ishiguro, through his postmodern revisionist lens, reveals the conflict that arises as new
structures of control challenge the old but ultimately demonstrates the cyclical nature in which
regimes in control are bound to make the same mistakes.

Context

Historical
Imperialism
● Predatory system of exploitation between nations
● 2nd stage of imperialism → resurgence of socialist/communist movements in 3rd world countries
● 3rd stage of imperialism → linked to modern age + globalisation and internationalism
○ These are all socioeconomic divides not 1st 2nd and 3rd world divides

Imperialism in Japan → Japanese ultranationalism

● Ono is a pro imperial propaganda artist, lived in a right winged society
● Showa statism (developed into) → basically Japanese fascism
○ 1926-1989
○ Features idea such as nationalism, militarism and state capitalism
○ Kinda started at 1868 in Meiji restaurant → since then they have been in a lot of wars so
they needed some sort of leader
○ The loss of WWII shows as an attack for their front they had developed
○ This lead to a surge of Japanese nationalist front, where the implementation of a military
dictatorship was the best way to protect the Japanese values
○ Elements : antirationalism → action was based off of pride and honour, abandoned
universal freedom, elitism and leadership → there is one supreme leader who had the
power to abolish all bad things, immobilising force → fascist regimes focused on
building and maintaining a strong military, socialism → lot of distrust in capitalism,
ultranationalism → needed to be an ideology of superiority of their nation above all
others
● In world war 2:
○ Axis vs Allies
○ Japanese committed a lot of bad crimes for them to get bombed like that
 ○ Artist is set in Japan in the wake of the war → in the rehabilitation of Japan lead by
the US
○ Confronting capitalism → used to strive towards anticapitalism, very demoralising
○ During the time of the novel, the nature of Japan was unclear

Social
● Patriarchy → traditional family unit, how it was viewed in Japan → male figure residing over
multiple generations
○ As part of a patriarchal society, it showed mens privilege over women in a family
○ The idea of the nation as a family is required for people to agree to go to war
○ Therefore the government made the leader of imperial Japan to be like a ‘father’ who had
absolute power
○ After getting steamrolled, they adopted the western ideology of family → rewrote the
way of Japanese philosophy of families
■ Make note of how women are represented → as minorities and majorities

Cultural
● Floating world → artistic depictions of the pleasure districts of urban Japan
○ Ukiyo (in Japanese) → embodiment of the new economy and social fun stuff
● Japanese culture was getting very Americanised after the world war

How has your study of An Artist of the Floating World altered and expanded
your understanding of tradition?

In your response, make detailed reference to the prescribed text