Masuji Ono: One Man Two Worlds

In Kazuo Ishiguro's An Artist of the Floating World, Masuji Ono begins the book while reliving his past, both distant and recent.  The book is basically an illustration of some of Ono's thoughts and thought processes.  There are certain things that stand out when analyzing Masuji's character.  During early reading of this book it is made clear that Ono has become much of a changed man due to the affects of World War II.  

A father of three children Ono has his family size reduced by the war when his only son, Kenji is killed in action. It is also mentioned that his wife has also passed away during the years of the war (Ishiguro p.11) His oldest daughter Setsuko is married to a man named Suichi and is the mother of Ono's grandson, Ichiro.  Noriko is Ono's younger daughter; she was involved in a proposed marriage arrangement with Jiro Miyake before the Miyake family mysteriously backed out.  Ono's character is described further when he recounts the process at which he obtained the house in which he now resides.  This event speaks volumes of Ono's personality in that the houses next tenant would be selected "on grounds purely of good character and achievement" (Ishiguro p.8).  The Sugimura family was a very prestigious and recognized family in the town Ono grew up in, by them selecting him worthy of candidacy speaks bounds for Ono as a person.  Ono speaks of how honourable the decision process for the house is by describing it as a contest "in which one's moral conduct ad achievement are brought as witnesses rather than the size of one's purse" (Ishiguro p.10)

  Ono is a retired Artist who came to be despite the lack of support from Ono's father.  It is brought to your attention early in this book that Ono and his father have a very poor relationship.  It is also made clear that Ono's father wanted nothing of his son becoming an artist,  "Naturally, she is mistaken in supposing this" Ono recalls his father telling him when speaking of Ono's mother telling his father that a young Masuji desired a future as an artist.  

  The first sign that Ono has been changed by the war comes from Noriko speaking of her sister's recollection of her father, "She only remembers you from when you were a tyrant and ordered us all around.  You're much more gentle these days" (Ishiguro p.13).  This statement gives a small claim that the war has in a sense exhausted Ono.  "You've got to keep him occupied or he starts to mope," Noriko informs her sister of their father's newly inherited living habits, stating his retirement as the reason for his lack of motivation.  It is mentioned that Ono's retirement may have been in fact been caused by the war, thus, adding his retirement to the list of changes in his life caused by the war.  The untimely death of his only son, the apparent death of his wife, the loss of his job, plus substantial damage to the house that in an essence symbolizes the character and honor of Masuji Ono and his family.  

Ono spends a good portion of his time down at Mrs. Kawakami's place; the local watering hole, and although the neighborhood surrounding the joint has drastically changed due to the war, the inside has remained relatively the same over the years.  It seems that Ono appreciates the stability of the place as he even recollects the struggles that Mrs. Kawakami had endured over the years with her place.  I think her grit and drive to stay open somewhat inspires Ono.  

  During early reading of this book Masuji Ono finds himself stuck in two much different worlds.  The pre-war life Ono new, consisting of stability and family.  Ono's life before the war is still a bit unclear at this moment in the book, but one can easily deduct that he must have experienced much more happiness then.  Before the war Ono was still able to relish the presence of his wife and son, two people that are no longer with him.  Ono was also still working before the war; one must believe that his work brought him great joy considering the fact that he has had a passion for art since a young age.  The world that Ono finds as his reality is a much darker place then his world before the war.  Death has plagued his family throughout the war years, and problems within the country have prevented him from being able to repair his war-damaged house.  His house is much like his spirit at this point, damaged substantially by the war, not destroyed, but damaged, and both are on a current rebuilding process.  Ono makes a small effort to escape his present world by going to Mrs. Kawakami's, a place that reminds him of his previous reality.