The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea: True Order Exists in the Exposed Core

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Recommended: Psychoanalysis of the sailor who fell from grace with the sea

The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea: True Order Exists in the Exposed Core The seas refuse to obey any of man's laws. Winds, storms and currents shift and distort the massive waters, shaping the land that lies within them. Unexplored in regions, the black depths mimic dormancy prior to rising up at unpredictable moments of torrential strength. The ocean's murder, rape and disregard of life is not punishable by any law or code of morality, and in Yukio Mishima's The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea, it exemplifies the perfect order of existence. Surviving according to nature's impulse, the ocean is the model of a raw, reactionary being. To the youths in the story, this emotionless lifestyle is the only means by which one can become aligned with the perfect core of existence. To betray oneself to feelings, morals and similar illusions created by adults is "falling from grace" with one's own distinct, perfect role. In The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea, the preceding theories are explored by a group of six young Japanese scholars, and a 13-year old "Chief" leads this band. The story is told from the point of view of the "middle genius," Noboru, who is delineated as "Number #3" of the six scholars. Thus, Noboru's number has a significant reflection on his perception of the Chief's teachings (the necessity of abolishing emotion). Though working to incorporate the Chief's theories, Noboru has yet to detach himself completely from his subjective nature. Once this has been accomplished, his stature will rise in the group, denoted by a higher number. The Chief, or "Number 1," is the giver of knowledge (comparable to the asp in the Garden of Eden). His morbid ideas entail that the perfect core of existence... ... middle of paper ... ... further anchor their own hearts into the current of existence. About the Author: Yukio Mishima was born in Tokyo in 1925. Translations of his works have appeared in over 15 countries, and he has composed plays, novels, short stories and numerous articles. Many of his works, including the one explored in this paper, have been converted into motion pictures. At the peak of his career, Mishima committed seppuku (ritual suicide) on the afternoon of the completion of his masterwork, The Sea of Fertility. Oddly, this compilation of works is a literary drill of Mishima's own suicide; perhaps he had fallen from grace with his role as a writer. Works Cited Mishima, Yukio. The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea. New York: Perigee Books, 1965. The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea. Twentieth Century Fox. Starring Sarah Miles, Kris Kristofferson, 1976.

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