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The story Patriotism by Yukio Mishima reflects the ideas of loyalty and sacrifice portrayed with consideration for human feelings and relationships. The events described during the scene are not unambiguous, as they reflect several perceptions of the main characters. At the same time, the story plot represents the direct path of the characters to the decision to commit suicide. Patriotism also portrays the human willingness to follow certain precepts and sacrifice with consideration of feelings and emotions. Thus, the story illustrates human feelings and behaviors in the context of a prevailing sense of patriotism and the necessity to fulfill a moral duty.
In this story, the characters are endowed with human feelings shown in the shadow of patriotism and duty. The behavior of Shinji and Reiko after the decision to commit suicide is extraordinary: “With happiness welling almost too abundantly in their hearts, they could not help smiling at each other” (p. 100). These characters have romantic feelings for each other, which is evident in their behavior and readiness to sacrifice their lives. At the same time, their marriage is overshadowed by patriotic prescriptions, making the characters perceive all aspects of life other than duty as secondary. Therefore, Shinji and Reiko have pronounced human feelings that do not exceed the prescriptions and rules established by society and traditions.
Moreover, the characters’ confidence is not portrayed as absolute, which imparts them with more human traits. During seppuku, Shinji feels unsure: “His willpower and courage, which seemed so robust before he made the incision, had now dwindled to something like a single hairlike thread of steel, and he was assailed by the uneasy feeling that he must advance along this thread, clinging to it with desperation” (p. 113). Hence this character’s confidence is not static and decreases significantly during suicide. Overall, the story demonstrates inconsistencies between one’s ideological beliefs and inner feelings.
Despite the story’s distinct patriotic setting and the characters’ determined behavior, the narrative has an aspect of ambivalence. Shinji and Reiko are persons who strictly follow moral precepts and are ready to sacrifice their lives. Nevertheless, these characters have human feelings, as seen in their attitude toward each other and Shinji’s uncertainty during the suicide. Overall, the story displays the complexity of loyalty and self-sacrifice, which include several aspects determined by one’s inner desires and feelings.
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