Patriotism Yukio Mishima

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“Patriotism” by Yukio Mishima is a story about a man who is faced with a moral dilemma only he has the decision of making. Lieutenant Shinji Takeyama is faced with an unappeasable decision, Shinji can go with his fellow comrades to dethrone his emperor, or go against his emperor who he is very loyal to. What would you do? This leads to the central idea that when you are loyal to both your fellow comrades, but as well as your emperor what do you do, now Shinji is forced to make a deadly course of direction and die an honorable death widely known as “seppuku” in Japan. Also he just recently married a woman named Reiko who he was profoundly in love with. In the story, Shinji was not clear what to do exactly, should he join his fellow close collogues overthrow their emperor, or kill his close collogues by the command of his emperor. Shinji knew what was going to happen, "There may be imperial ordinance sent down tomorrow. They'll be posted as rebels, I imagine", to answer that it was a defiant no. It was immensely clear that he was for the emperor, and that he wouldn’t disobey the emperor “Long Live the Imperial Forces” he stated moments before his committed seppuku. What was he morally going to do he had no choice but to take his own life rather than disobey his leader, and not have to kill his colleagues. Most people …show more content…

It is identifiable when he says “There might be an imperial ordinance set down tomorrow. They’ll be posted as rebels, I imagine” so Shinji knows what is going to take place but he also knows what he is going to have to do “I shall be in command of a unit with orders to attack them…. I can’t do it’s impossible to do a thing like that”. So if he can’t join the rebels, or attack them what is he left to do? He is going to commit an honorable death; he sees this as his one way ticket out of making this immoral

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