Wonderful Fool (Susaku Endo) Quote Analysis in Terms of Aspects of Tokyo and Japan

        

3) Interpreting the text can have different outcomes from a people of different culture; the social and the cultural aspects of Japan are going to be interpreted differently. For example, the westernization issue of Japan is a persistent theme in the novel. Due to the western influence, Japan has completely reshaped its culture. The society became a work-power culture, working endlessly and keeping to a tight schedule: “From the mouth of Shibuya station issued a massive wave of people, returning home after the day's work. They were sucked into the flowing stream on the street, to be succeeded by yet another wave.” Japan has developed a booming western-style economy with banks, where Tomoe and Takamori work and the stocks, which Tomoe trades, are just few of the examples of its westernization. The issue is however not directly addressed, which it difficult to understand. Since I am completely foreign, at first I thought that the western aspects were normal to Japan until I understood the issue which affected the Japanese; even though they have prepared materialistically, they remain stagnant spiritually and are losing their traditional culture. Easier

A cultural aspect, which I had difficulties in understanding, was prostitution of Japan. To a westerner, it may seem wrong and sinful, especially if he is Christian. Prostitution is prohibited in many developed countries and became illegal in Japan after the war as a result of westernization. But little did I know that prostitution was actually legal in Japan and their culture had nothing against it. That is why it is so often mentioned in the book, for example in chapter 6 it the narrator describes “dozens of women standing in the dark alleys between the inns. Since the passing of the anti-prostitution law there is probably no other place in Tokyo where so many women can be seen lining the streets ready for business.” Since Tokyo is a really western city, it is contently controlled for prostitution and if prostitution is illegal, how come it still exists in this part of Tokyo? Then I understood the true cultural context behind the Japanese prostitution.

Revised Thematic Statement: The spiritual downfall of a country often begins with the loss of traditional values and increasing materialism dependency.

Thesis statement: In the novel “Wonderful Fool” by Shusaku Endo, westernization has so greatly affected the Japanese traditional culture, that the change is almost invisible to the European eye.