The Theme of Disqualification

Tracks the recurring motif of being 'disqualified as a human being' through Yozo's self-perception and society's judgment.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

The First Hint

The Fear of Being Human The Inability to Understand Yozo could not understand the motives of human beings. He felt that he was the only one who was entirely unlike the rest. This thought terrified him. The Conclusion of Shame He later wrote, "Mine has been a life of much shame." The sense of being different was the seed of his disqualification. The Birth of the Jester He invented clowning as a last quest for love, but it was a sign that he could not be a normal human being.

The Criminal Consciousness

The Unspoken Guilt The Wound of the Guilty Conscience Yozo felt a constant criminal consciousness, as if he were guilty of something. He compared it to a wife in poverty, a faithful companion. The Irrationality of the World He was more comfortable in the irrational world of the underground movement than in rational society. He felt that he was a social outcast from birth. The Affection for Outcasts He felt affection for anyone society called an outcast, recognizing a kinship.

The Incarnation of the Reject

The Invisible Brand The Loss of Status After the Kamakura incident, Yozo was expelled from college and treated as a criminal. He was a "reject" in the eyes of society. The Feeling of Being a Parasite Living with Flatfish, he felt like a burden. He was a parasite, not a human being. His self-worth was zero. The Escape into Nothingness He ran away, but he carried the brand of the reject wherever he went.

The Madman's Label

The Official Disqualification The Key in the Lock When the doctor locked the door of the ward, Yozo understood that he was now a lunatic. He was no longer a criminal; he was a madman. The Denial He knew he was not mad, but society had labeled him. He thought, "People who get put into this asylum are crazy, and those who don't are normal." The Final Question He asked God, "Is non-resistance a sin?" He had not resisted, and now he was disqualified from being human.

The Living Ghost

The State of Non-Being The Grey Hair At twenty-seven, Yozo looked over forty. He had no happiness, no unhappiness. He was a ghost, a reject. The Only Truth He concluded, "Everything passes." This was the only truth he had learned from his life of hell. The Angel's Testimony In the epilogue, the madam said, "He was an angel." This final contradiction suggests that Yozo's disqualification was a misunderstanding. He was too pure for a world that could not accept him.

childhood

college years

after the suicide attempt, under Flatfish

when committed to the mental hospital

after father's death, in the country