Fatalism and Destiny in "A Personal Matter"
Fatalism and Destiny in "A Personal Matter" by Kenzaburo Oe
Differences in culture have persistently influenced the works of literature among writers across the globe. African-American writers write about the racial prejudice and injustice of discrimination in a predominantly white American society. American writers, meanwhile, center on the issue of individualism and the society's role in reinforcing or discouraging this ideology. Notably, these writers talk about their experiences reflective of the Western cultural experience, and an analysis of the works of writers from the Eastern societies and cultures reflect an altogether different sentiment about life and living.
Take as an ...
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he faces the reality that he has a mentally-handicapped son for a child. "A Personal Matter" chronicles Oe's struggle to fight for his son's life, even if the odds are against his living a longer, meaningful life.
This paper discusses an emergent theme that dominates the novel, which is the fatalistic attitude that the protagonist of the novel, Bird, assumes. Remarkably, the novel illustrates Bird's shift from being a fatalistic to being an individual in control of himself and of the course of his 'fate.' The discussion in this paper analyzes how this transition happens in "A Personal Matter," and how, through the theme of fatalism and concept of destiny, Oe's novel reflects Japanese society at a time when society is still struggling from a downfall politically and economically, to the detriment of the country's people. In effect, this paper argues that Bird's transition from being fatalistic to being a decisive individual reflects his eventual subsistence to asserting his ...
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him depicts his belief that life is directly and inevitably linked with fate. This connection, he realizes, must not be avoided to run away from the problem, but to avoid the problem by coming up with a solution to it. Bird evidently maintains his character and attitude despite this realization-that is, he avoids the fate of life not by running away from it, but by looking for another way to avoid it, which is to bring himself to act not only for his sake, but most importantly, for his son.
Indeed, this realization is further developed as the novel comes to an end. Readers witness that Bird had indeed attained self-realization, and this becomes evident in the imagery that Oe utilizes ...
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Fatalism and Destiny in "A Personal Matter". (2017, January 7). Retrieved November 23, 2024, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Fatalism-and-Destiny-in-Personal-Matter/106047
"Fatalism and Destiny in "A Personal Matter"." Essayworld.com. Essayworld.com, 7 Jan. 2017. Web. 23 Nov. 2024. <http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Fatalism-and-Destiny-in-Personal-Matter/106047>
"Fatalism and Destiny in "A Personal Matter"." Essayworld.com. January 7, 2017. Accessed November 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Fatalism-and-Destiny-in-Personal-Matter/106047.
"Fatalism and Destiny in "A Personal Matter"." Essayworld.com. January 7, 2017. Accessed November 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Fatalism-and-Destiny-in-Personal-Matter/106047.
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