The Dependency on Women

Traces Yozo's pattern of being 'kept' by women—from prostitutes to Shizuko to the madam—and how this dependency deepened his shame.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

The Prostitutes' Halo

The Imbecile Saints The First Encounters Horiki introduced Yozo to prostitutes. Yozo found them comforting because they seemed more like imbeciles or lunatics than human beings. He felt safe in their arms. The Halo of Mary Some nights, he saw these prostitutes with a halo of Mary. They offered him a friendliness without ulterior motive, a rare gift. The Apprenticeship Through prostitutes, Yozo learned the art of pleasing women. This skill made him a lady-killer, but it also brought him shame and unwanted attention.

The Kept Man: Shizuko

The Second Cage The Magazine Journalist Yozo met Shizuko at Horiki's house. She took pity on him and offered to let him stay with her. He became a kept man, living off her income. The Daily Routine He drew cartoons for her magazine, bought liquor with the money, and felt a growing depression. He was a parasite, and he knew it. The Escape Yozo began to steal Shizuko's clothes to pawn for drink. He eventually left her, but not before feeling a pang of guilt at the happy life of Shizuko and her daughter Shigeko.

The Madam of Kyobashi

The Third Refuge The Bar Owner Yozo went to the madam of the bar in Kyobashi and said, "I've left her and come to you." She accepted him without question. He became a lodger, a customer, an errand boy. The Freedom of No Expectation At the bar, Yozo was treated kindly by customers. He began to relax his vigilance. He felt that society might not be so dreadful after all. The Illusion of Safety But this freedom was also a trap. He was still dependent on the madam, and his drinking increased. He was still a kept man, just in a different form.

The Marriage to Yoshiko

The Attempt at Independence The Virgin Bride Yoshiko was a virgin, and Yozo hoped that marrying her would end his pattern of dependency. He wanted to become a real human being. The Illusion of Equality But Yozo was still financially dependent on his cartooning, and emotionally dependent on Yoshiko's trust. The marriage was not a partnership but a new form of reliance. The Failure When Yoshiko was violated, Yozo's dependence on her trust collapsed. He fell back into drink and drugs, proving that he could not stand on his own.

The Pharmacist Woman

The Ugliest Dependency The Morphine Supply Yozo became addicted to morphine supplied by the crippled pharmacist woman. He visited her daily, fawning for the drug. He even kissed her, pretending to weep. The Mutual Misery She was also unhappy, with a dead husband and a sick son. They shared a bond of suffering, but it was a dark, impure bond. The Final Descent This dependency was the lowest point. Yozo was a slave to a substance and a crippled woman. He had lost all dignity.

The Old Servant Tetsu

The Last Caretaker The Ugly Woman Yozo's brother sent Tetsu, an ugly woman of nearly sixty, to look after him. Yozo referred to her as having "horrible rusty hair." The Strange Relationship They occasionally quarreled like husband and wife. Yozo was "violated in a curious manner" by her, a final, grotesque dependency. The End of Dependence Yozo's life was now reduced to a passive existence, cared for by a woman he did not respect. He had become a ghost, dependent on the kindness of a stranger.

college years

after the suicide attempt, early spring

after leaving Shizuko, late spring

after the Kyobashi period, spring

after Yoshiko's violation, winter

after the mental hospital, in the country