Kwaidan Selections

“His sole concern was to resort to every possible means to heal the wounds his pride had suffered” from his big nose (Akutagawa, 193). His role as a religious priest was adversely affected by this compulsion that he even searched within scriptures to find details of a body part out of proportion like his. In “On Parables,” Kafka explicitly mentions that “parables really set out to say merely that the incomprehensible is incomprehensible” (Kafka, 488). These obsessions, varying from story to story, essentially lead to the demise of a loved one, happiness, or sensibility. However, in his anecdotal short stories, such as “Robinson Crusoe” and “An Imperial Message,” Kafka certainly conveys strong messages left very open to interpretation. Rich in symbolism and language, Kafka conveys the distances to be crossed are simply impossible to journey through considering as you pass through one obstacle, another one is waiting right there, in an infinite loop. Only after his flame for the ‘new’ O-Tei is rekindled does Nagao finally find happiness. Personally, Kafka single-handedly perplexed me with such vague and simple-ideas presented in such a parable-like manner. It is difficult to pass judgment as to whether Georg’s lack of caring for his father outweighs his father’s ultimate plea.

Since the dawn of literature, parables have played a significant factor in shaping cultures, religion, as well as personalities. The obsessions grows so strong while he is painting the hell screen that, essentially when his own daughter was engulfed in flames, after overcoming the initial shock, he was driven to absorb the atmosphere to recreate in his painting.

In “The Nose,” Zenchi Naigu is driven by an urge to shorten his sagging nose. Akutagawa, in his works “Jigokuhen,” “The Nose,” as well as “The Tangerines,” draws out obsession as a major theme. However, once the secret is unleashed, Yuki-Onna’s threatening nature is let loose as she says “for those children asleep there, I would kill you this moment!” The brutal image of the spirits is further carried on in “The Story of O-Tei,” in a more subtle manner. Parable-like in nature, Akutagawa’s stories portray obsession as a powerful force, capable of becoming an all-pervasive influence.