The Evolution of the 'Angel'

Traces how Yozo's self-perception shifts from 'disqualified human' to 'angel' in the eyes of others, culminating in the epilogue.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

The Self-Portrait as Monster

The Ghost Pictures The Hidden Truth Yozo painted self-portraits that showed his true self as a monster. He was terrified of others seeing them, but he also affirmed this identity. The Fear of Exposure He was afraid that if people saw the real him, they would be horrified. He hid the pictures, but he knew that the monster was the truth. The Foundation of Shame This self-image of being a monster was the basis of his life of shame.

The Criminal and the Madman

The Labels The Criminal After Kamakura, Yozo was treated as a criminal. He was a "reject." He accepted this label. The Madman In the mental hospital, he was a lunatic. He thought, "I had now ceased utterly to be a human being." The Loss of Identity He was no longer Yozo; he was a case file. The world had defined him as something less than human.

The Epilogue's Revelation

The Testimony of the Madam The Angel When asked about Yozo, the madam said, "He was a good boy, an angel." This contradicts everything Yozo wrote about himself. The Incompleteness of the Portrait Yozo's self-portrait was incomplete. He saw only his flaws, but others saw his gentleness and capacity for love. The Final Judgment The novel ends with this word: "angel." It suggests that Yozo was not a monster, but a being too pure for the world. His disqualification was a misunderstanding.

high school

after the suicide attempt and commitment

ten years after the events