Archive for July, 2010
Kenzaburo Oe’s Seventeen: the conclusion.
After I swore my allegiance at the Imperial Way Faction’s headquarters, Sakagibara said to me, “Now you’re officially the youngest member of the Organization.” But, it didn’t look like I was their first attempt at recruiting youth: besides me, I quickly discovered that there were three shifty-looking twenty-year-old fellows also at the headquarters. But they [...]
SEVENTEEN, part seven
What is SEVENTEEN??
And with that, the music came on – ferocious, hateful, and at a volume that threatened to break the speakers, it reverberated throughout the entire city. “We must kill them to save our own lives! It’s the only righteous thing to do!” We shouted as we stood to applaud. From the stage, the [...]
Kenzaburo Oe’s SEVENTEEN, part six
What is SEVENTEEN??
Chapter 3
“Wanna be a sakura, yo?” came a voice from close behind me. (sakura: literally cherry blossom, but it’s also a slang term for a militia temp-worker: someone hired to beef up the crowds at right-wing rallies) I was waiting for the train. As usual I was all alone, since I lacked the courage [...]
Kenzaburo Oe’s SEVENTEEN, part five
What is SEVENTEEN??
When we last left our hero, he was in the middle of an 800 meter run in gym class.
Life is Hell, I reflected. Society is Hell too, and the Devil is a fat man in immaculately pressed sweatpants and a baseball cap, holding a flare gun, and there is no escape for [...]
1 commentKenzaburo Oe’s SEVENTEEN part 4
What is SEVENTEEN??
CHAPTER 2
I did not open my eyes in a good mood the following morning. My head was pounding, my body had a slight fever, and my arms and legs felt heavy. I felt like I was in a coma, and that everyone in society was having their cheerful breakfast, while talking about what [...]