Unworthy of being human
Unworthy of being human -or Ningen Shikkaku, by its original Japanese title, is a contemporary novel written by the late Japanese author Osamu Dazai. The work began to be published in installments in 1948, selling more than ten million copies and becoming one of the most important texts in Japanese culture. After its release and subsequent success, the book was published in many other languages, including Italian, Portuguese and Spanish.
One of the Spanish versions most faithful to the native language of Unworthy of being human It was published by the independent label Sajalín Editores, by the translator, writer and journalist Montse Watkins, who made a direct translation from Japanese. This novel by Osamu Dazai It has a large autobiographical component, which, for obvious reasons, reveals real sequences about the author's life
Synopsis of Unworthy of being human
To understand Unworthy of being human It is necessary to take into account the context in which its author wrote it. During 1948, palpable consequences of the Second World War. The warlike acts carried out in this period deeply marked Osamu Dazai, so his perspective on society was darker than what was usual for him until then.
As a sad curious fact, A few months after the publication of his book Dazai decided to take his own life. Before he died, he was just shy of turning 39 years old, and he was at the peak of his career as a writer.
This part of his biography is transcendental to understand the thickness of his work, since Its protagonist, a socially alienated man, attempts suicide on several occasions, until, finally, he succeeds. Other data that mimic the author's own existence are alcoholism and morphine addiction.
Structure of the work
Introduction
It is presented as a brief prologue by an unknown author. The text is part of the story as an external perspective of the protagonist's life.
Notebook
The few pages of Unworthy of being human They are summarized in three notebooks with a subdivision in the third, giving rise to four concentrated chapters. The text does not have the structure of a diary, but of a log, a series of chronological notes that try to put in order the biography of the protagonist, and his perception of society. This personal record takes place from his childhood to his twenty-seventh year.
Through these notebooks it is possible to know the life, thoughts, reflections and emotions of Yōzō Ōba. This is about exploring, knowing and understanding yourself through words. Almost by accident, a story results from this analysis.
A closer look at this door inside Yōzō makes the reader feel like an intruder, a stowaway who snoops into the privacy of a disturbed person, who could be an alter ego of Osamu Dazai.
first notebook
Yōzō Ōba suffers from an intense feeling of alienation. He does not understand how his peers can behave in such a vile, selfish and indolent manner.. He is in a state that does not allow him to maintain satisfactory social relationships with any person, because he thinks that everyone close to him wears masks that hide his true nature, his evil. Since he does not see the possibility of maintaining a facade for long, he perceives himself as useless in this regard, unworthy of being human.
For a time, he resorts to satire and humor to enter society, but it is impossible. At some point, He says that, when he was a child, he was abused by a servant in his house. However, he made the decision not to share this information, as this would not be of any use to him or others. Yōzō believes that he is disqualified from belonging to humanity, as he is not capable of behaving like it.
Second notebook
The story of Yōzō's life unfolds like a vortex towards decay. The protagonist tries to keep his happy man mask while interacting with his friend Takeichi., the only one around him who seems to realize that something is wrong with Ōba.
The main character enjoys art, one of the few expressions with which he experiences some type of emotion. For example: through the paintings of Amedeo Modigliani he discovers that many artists use their gifts to capture their own traumas.
This observation leads him to paint a self-portrait, but it appears too terrible to show to anyone other than Takeichi. Yōzō Ōba finds himself increasingly involved in the art world, where he meets a painter named Horiki., who encourages him to discover the pleasures of alcohol, tobacco and women. One night, the protagonist meets a married woman with whom he plans to commit suicide. But the matter does not end well: she dies and he survives.
Third notebook
His sense of guilt gradually destroys his sanity. Subsequently, he is expelled from the university and taken to live at the house of a friend of his family. Later, he tries to maintain a normal romantic relationship, but abandons it to go with the woman who owns a bar he patronizes. In his constantly drunken state he attempts to examine what the true meaning of society is, and what role he plays in it.
However, his fear and aversion to people only drives him deeper into alcohol. This scenario repeats itself, at least, until he meets a girl who convinces him to give up drinking.
Second part of the third notebook
Thanks to the influence of his new young lover, Yōzō Ōba manages to stop drinking alcohol and restores his life working as a cartoonist. But this reintegration does not last too long. Horiki reappears in the protagonist's life, once again leading him to self-destructive behavior. which is even worse than the previous one. Later, Yōzō's relationship with her rescuer is broken after an event where she is abused by a friend of Ōba.
That last event sealed the character's expected final debacle. Over time, Yōzō becomes completely alcoholic and addicted to morphine.. Soon he has no choice but to check himself into a mental health clinic. When he leaves, he flees to a distant place, where he concludes his story with a lethargic reflection that closes with his disfigured vision of the world.
About the author, Osamu Dazai
Osamu Dazai
Osamu Dazai, whose real name was Shūji Tsushima, was born in 1909, in Kanagi, Aomori Prefecture, Japan. He is considered by many to be one of the most prominent novelists in contemporary Japanese literature. His no-frills pen gave his country of origin just what it needed in post-war times: a fresh voice that, crudely, shows how the canons of formality and discipline that have governed Japan were crumbling.
Most of Osamu Dazai's works have a broad character autobiographical. That is why it is not strange to find approaches that, even today, seem taken from our current world, since they represent the era that the author lived in, which is not too far from the XNUMXst century.
Other works by Osamu Dazai
Novels
- Dōke no hana — Flowers of buffoonery (1935);
- Shayō — The decline or the decline (1947)
short story anthologies
- Eight scenes from Tokyo (Spanish edition, 2012);
- Schoolgirl (Spanish edition, 2013);
- bedside stories (Spanish edition, 2013);
- Regards (Spanish edition, 2014);
- Run Melos and other stories (Spanish edition, 2015);
- Disowned (Spanish edition, 2016);
- Family happiness (Spanish edition, 2017).