Patriotism

"Patriotism" is a deceptively short work, which captures the full impact of Yukio Mishima's life's work in some 50-odd pages. It is as simple and brutally effective as an ice-pick, sharp and beautiful as a wakazashi. Set during the Feb. 1936 coup attempt in Tokyo, a newly married military officer, left out of the uprising by his compatriots, makes passionate love to his bride, following which they both commit seppuku in perhaps the most graphically detailed description in literature. It is a shocking and inevitable work, written foreshadowing Mishima's own violent end. I highly recommend this book, for while it may offend the unprepared, it's beauty of language, concise and vivid imagery, as well as it's historical significance, make it essential reading for anyone who loves fine literature. It epitomizes Mishima's dual passions for elegant beauty and bloody death.

"Patriotism" is Mishima stripped to the core: a simple tale of the sacrifice of a young couple, willingly and eagerly giving their lives for the emperor. Written by most anyone but Mishima this would be portrayed as a story of regret and tragedy, but in the hands of Mishima, the couple is described in tones extolling their beauty and virtue; death explained in words that evoke images of heat and passion. Mishima does not sugarcoat the experience; he lays it bare for the reader. My personal feelings regarding the content of this short story are at odds with those of Mishima, but I cannot deny the power and skill of "Patriotism". This is the type of book that should be read and discussed, a story that loses no power despite the time that has elapsed since it was written nearly forty years ago. An interesting note regarding the title: although the original title (Yukoku) is usually translated as "patriotism" in English, the word carries different overtones than the English word "patriotism" or the more common Japanese word "aikoku" or "aikokushin". Yukoku translates more accurately as worry or anxiety over the present state or future of one's country. It is also a homophone for another word that means "evening". When reading this tale, remember these details as well as the fact that Mishima wrote this tale not during the heat and fury of wartime Japan, but twenty years after World War II ended, and this story will take on new nuances. Patriotism is an intense study in nationalism, wartime-Japan style, as well as a window onto the soul of the enigmatic Mishima.

My short story class was assigned to read "Patriotism," and I was so thankful because now I've been introduced to yet another fantastic writer. Yes, maybe the idea of a wife following her husband in suicide out of honor and devotion seems preposterous today, but the way it was written was so undeniably beautiful. Mishima writes in a way that makes the reader completely understand why his characters do what they do. No one could argue that the whole act was utterly noble and selfless. The descriptions of the love and mutual respect in Shinji's and Reiko's marriage was heavenly, almost unreal--yet its rarity doesn't make the reader laugh. Again, it was written so that one is convinced that this is a marriage exemplifying the "harmony" we all seek between two people. Basically I was in awe of the descriptions in this story--such beautiful, powerful imagery in the lovemaking scene, as well as the final act of death. Mishima fills his phrases with so much emotion, that as Shinji's end drew near, I was literally brought to tears. Part of the beauty in this story was in the translation. I'll bet that Sargeant probably best captured the essence of Mishima's words more than anyone could. I've heard that there are some pretty bad translations of foreign work so I think it's safe to say that Sargeant would be the translator to look for when reading Mishima's work. Though this story was set in the 30s, Mishima wrote it in 1966. I wonder what inspired him to write it. I don't know what was going on politically in Japan in the 60s. Perhaps the political turmoil in the United States may have affected Japan's psyche. Either way, what surprises me even more is the fact that this story was written so late in the 20th Century! I highly recommend "Patriotism." It's a wonderful illustration of devotion in its many forms. I loved it, and now I'm going to read other stories by this author!

To recall Madama Butterfly's comment on life: If one cannot live with honor, one can die honorably. This would be something with which the lieutenant and his wife, depicted in this story, would certainly agree. The reviewers who have commented here are caught up in the gore and blood of this story. Mishima indeed took care to precisely delineate of the act of disembowelment but the gore in this story is more clinically described than done for gratuitous results.What is at the center of this story is being true to one's beliefs. Toward the end of his life Mishima was outspoken about the traditions of Japan that were rapidly disappearing, among them being allegiance to the Emperor. The event that the story was based upon was a rebellion by a group of junior officers in the Japanese army. They felt that the power and position of the emperor was being infringed upon and proceeded to kill some members of the government who they felt were leaning too much to the West (apologizing to family members). In other words, the soldiers reacted to a threat to traditional Japanese values. The soldiers who participated in the rebellion did not count upon Hirohito feeling otherwise, for he did not support their actions. The lieutenant is left alone after his comrades participated in the rebellion while he was on leave. He keep faith with them in his act of seppuku, hence the fact that the majority of the story is actually concerned with the act itself. We may wonder why the lieutenant feels he must go through with his act, particularly since the rebellion was a dismal failure. The answer, I think, is honor.The theme of this story, of keeping faith to traditional values, is echoed in Runaway Horses and, of course, in Mishima's own life - the unity of pen and action. Ironically, the story became the subject of a film where Mishima played the lieutenant.If we can put aside our fear of blood, the language Mishima employs is astonishingly beautiful and concise. There are few stories that can match the impact conveyed by the words of Patriotism. The only one that I find similarly affecting is Jack London's The Red One. This is a work that is experienced and felt as few works of fiction can even hope to approach.

"Patriotism," a short story by one of the 20th century's most talented and notorious authors, cannot be adequately described within the constraints of language. It has a raw power that, like all of Mishima's works, is profoundly delicate in construction and exquisite in tempo. The plot of "Patriotism" is simple enough -- it is, in fact, unimportant. An officer in the Japanese military is given orders to disrupt a renegade political group that he happens to hold allegiance to. What else does one do in such a quandry (particularly a character of Mishima) than commit seppuku? The bulk of "Patriotism" is the last night that this officer and his wife spend together before they both commit ritual suicide. What sets "Patriotism" apart from virtually all other literature is its portrayal of a couple's last night and their gruesome, graphic, horrific deaths in glorious and ecstatic terms. Many writers are capable of vividly depicting a scene of death and horror, and this story is more disgusting and graphic than anything I've read in Stephen King. But the literal description of what happens has an unpredictable and unbelievable impact in this story, where one man's act of disemboweling himself is described in the most ecstatic terms. It was that juxtaposition of glory and death that made me nearly double over when I'd finished. "Patriotism" is not for the weak heart nor the weak stomach, but in 50 pages or so it creates an effect you are not likely to see executed so well elsewhere.