The Role of the Father

Traces Yozo's psychological dependence on his father's authority and approval, and the void left by his death.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

The Father's Shadow

The Fear of Disapproval The Silent Meals Yozo's father was a distant, intimidating figure. The family meals were a ritual of silence, and Yozo felt judged by his father's presence. The Lion Mask Deception Yozo's desperate act of writing "Lion Mask" was to win his father's approval. He succeeded, but the pattern of pleasing his father was set. The Invisible Authority Even when his father was away, Yozo felt his authority. He could not answer back, and he could not reveal his true self.

The Father's Career Plan

The Obedience The Civil Service Path Yozo's father decided he should become a civil servant and entered him in college. Yozo dropped school, but he did not dare to openly defy his father. The Secret Rebellion Yozo cut classes and painted in secret. He lived in fear of his father discovering his true interests. The Conflicting Feelings He hated his father's authority but also craved his love. This ambivalence paralyzed him.

The Father's Anger

The Threat of Disownment The Rumor Yozo was told that his father was so enraged that he might be disowned. He felt a cold fear. He had lost his father's favor. The Secret Support Despite his anger, Yozo's father allowed his brothers to send money secretly. This mixed message confused Yozo. The Longing for Forgiveness Yozo never stopped hoping for his father's forgiveness. He wrote the letter, but no answer came.

The Father's Death

The Empty Vessel The News Yozo's brother and Flatfish told him of his father's death. He felt as if the vessel of his suffering had become empty. The Loss of Direction His father had been the center of his fear and his desire for approval. With his death, Yozo lost all motivation to live. The Mechanical Existence He was taken out of the hospital and sent to the country. He obeyed without feeling. His father's death had completed his emotional death.

The Father's Legacy

The Absence of the Father The Country House Yozo's brother bought him a house, but Yozo felt no connection to it. He was a ghost, living without purpose. The Unanswered Questions He never understood his father. He had no idea what his father thought of him. This lack of resolution haunted him silently. The Final State Yozo ended as a grey-haired man, incapable of feeling. His father's death had taken the last anchor of his identity.

childhood

college entrance

after the Kamakura suicide

during Yozo's stay in the mental hospital

the final years in the country