Swaddling Clothes

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“Swaddling Clothes”
The Evolutions of Toshiko
By
Caramel Velez

By nature, all people are self-centered at one time or another. I find myself constantly being wrapped up in the day-to-day tasks becoming oblivious to the world around me. This action can continues for days or weeks until something drastic happens to break me out of it. A news story about Syria or a frantic phone call from a family member and my solitary existence does not matter. All of a sudden, my eyes are open wondering what I have missed. My caring for others helps me to become more selfless. This is also true of the lead character Toshiko in the story “The Swaddling clothes”.
“This story takes place in Tokyo after World War II” and the drop of the atom bomb. After Hiroshima, countless lives were disrupted the shock of this event changed many peoples lives forever. The author Yukio Mishima uniquely describes this evolution from the female perspective. Probably an ability acquired from his youth “That was dominated by his grandmother.” In the story the lead characters Toshiko’s comfortable life is interrupted when her nanny graphically gives birth to a son in the middle of her child’s nursery. This one horrific experience causes the character’s personality to complete alter from self-centered individual to someone so engrossed with this child’s life that she becomes selfless.

The main character Toshiko begins the story as a self-centered person. A self-centered individual is generally so consumed with the ritual of their own life they are ignorant to the world. This kind of person is mainly concerned with his or her own well-being and not the well-being of others. In most cases, these people are a burden often fearing any new experience cling...

... middle of paper ...

...one by!” This homeless man now represents what the life of the child will become. Her need to care and confront that moment makes her selfless. She no longer cares for her own well being even the possibility of death or injury does not scare her. Her need to see and be in this child’s future makes here disregard her own well-being and fears making her selfless.

While many people are naturally self-centered these moments are fleeting. When other people surround you, it is very hard to remain solitary. All it takes is a moment or interaction to shock you out of your routine. The birth of that illegitimate child was Toshiko’s moment. Toshiko’s ability to care for this child made her evolve from a spoiled self-involved individual to someone selfless. You can never be sure where or when it can happen but with other people around you are sure that they will happen.

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