The River Sumida, Kafu Nagai

   In my previous entry about Japanese literature I mentioned that I generally detest romance in stories that I read. I mentioned that I found the finish to be quite lovely and poetic. Well, if that was a flourish at the end, this story is a romance largely from beginning to end. Further, I enjoyed the sweet sorrow, romance, and poetry of the novella. "The River Sumida" can be found freely, courtesy of Archive.org.
   Both stories follow the life of a young boy who grows up to become a young man. However, "When I was a Boy in Japan" ends in a happy picturesque moment: a unity of affection between two good and happy middle class people. "The River Sumida" leaves with scant hope for Chokichi, the main character.
   He lives a happy enough life. His mother takes care of him. They are poor, but they manage. That is, until his childhood love gets turned over to a geisha house. Geisha aren't really prostitutes, are they? Or is that naive? I have heard some say that they are not. But surely that is an unrealistic distinction. Perhaps they are not supposed to, but they do. In any case, the house swallows her up.
   This causes Chokichi a great deal of depression. He largely gives up on school. He skips much of it as he tries to deal with his crippling depression. He watches a play in which he sees himself, the young man, who loses the one he loves to a geisha house. The young man dies in the play, and it ends in a kind of sad farewell between the play's two characters. So, seeing that play, he decides to follow in the character's footsteps.
   One cold day during an early Spring rain he attempts to throw his life away. His uncle, left behind to guard the house as his mother goes to try to save him, ends up nosing around in the boy's room, and discovers a half written letter, sees the unhappy fate of love between the two, and swears to himself to help his nephew better in the future. However, it is unclear whether or not the boy will survive. Survival is for those who have the will for it, not those who have discarded the will.
   Therefore, the two tales are in fact contrasts with one another. While the first was enjoyable, "The River Sumida" is rich in metaphor, visualizations, descriptions, and poetic nuance. If some reader of my blog exists, then I would recommend reading this one without reservation.