essay on the artist of the floating world

An Artist of the Floating World

Kazuo ishiguro.

206 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1986

About the author

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think? Rate this book Write a Review

Friends & Following

Community reviews.

'Of course, of course. And I've no doubt your new leaders are the most capable of men. But tell me, Taro, don't you worry at times we might be a little too hasty in following the Americans? I would be the first to agree many of the old ways must now be erased for ever, but don't you think sometimes some good things are being thrown away with the bad? Indeed, sometimes Japan has come to look like a small child learning from a strange adult.' - p.185

'Coming out of Mrs Kawakami's now, you could stand at her doorway and believe you have just been drinking at some outpost of civilization. All around, there is nothing but a desert of demolished rubble. Only the backs of several buildings far in the distance will remind you that you are not so far from the city centre. (...) So now that side of the street is nothing but ruble. No doubt the authorities have their plans, but it has been that way for three years. The rain collects in small puddles and grow stagnant amidst the broken brick. (...) The buildings on Mrs Kawakami's own side of the street have remained standing, but are unoccupied (...), a situation which makes her uncomfortable. If she became suddenly rich, she often tells us, she would buy up those properties and expand. In the meantime, she waits for someone to move into them; she would not mind if they became bars just like hers, anything provided she no longer had to live in the midst of a graveyard.' - P.26-27

'They are some who would say it is people like myself who are responsible for the terrible things that happened to this nation of ours. As far as I'm concerned, I freely admit I made many mistakes. (...) My paintings, my teachings. As you see, Dr Saito, I admit this quite readily. All I can say is that at the time I acted in good faith. I believed in all sincerity I was achieving good for my fellow countrymen. But, as you see, I am now not afraid to admit I was mistaken.' - p.123-124

"And if on reaching the foot of the hill which climbs up to my house, you pause at the Bridge of Hesitation and look back towards the remains of our old pleasure district, if the sun has not yet set completely, you may see the line of old telegraph poles – still without wires to connect them – disappearing into the gloom down the route you have just come, And you may be able to make out the dark clusters of birds perched uncomfortably on the tops of the poles, as though awaiting the wires along which they once lined the sky. "

' Artists’, my father’s voice continued, ‘live in squalor and poverty. They inhabit a world which gives them every temptation to become weak-willed and depraved. Am I not right, Sachiko?’ ‘Naturally. Yet perhaps there are one or two who are able to pursue an artistic career and yet avoid such pitfalls.'

An artist’s concern is to capture beauty wherever he finds it."

...Bet galbūt jūs ateitumėt man į pagalbą, panele Noriko. Argi jūs nemėgstate Bacho? - Bacho? - Akimirką mano duktė atrodė sutrikusi. Paskui nusišypsojo ir pasakė: - Taip, iš tiesų. Labai mėgstu. - A-a, pergalingai pasakė Taro [čia būsimas jaunikis], - mamai dabar teks šį tą permąstyti. - Mano sūnus niekus tauškia, panele Noriko. Aš niekada nekritikavau Bacho kūrybos apskritai. Tačiau sakykit, argi Šopenas ne iškalbingesnis, jei kalbėsime apie fortepijoną? - Iš tiesų, - atsakė Noriko. Tokie sausi atsakymai puikiai iliustruoja, kaip ji pasirodė per pirmąją vakaro dalį. (p. 125)

- Tai, spėju, tėvelis ir apie savo tapybą visuomet būdavo teisus. - Noriko, šis pokalbis beprasmis. Be to, jeigu tau nepatinka, ką padariau sode, labai prašom eiti ir patvarkyti, kaip norėtum, kad būtų. - Tėvelis labai malonus. Bet kada gi man siūlote tuo užsiimti? Aš neturiu visos laisvos dienos, kaip tėvelis kad turi. - Ką tu turi galvoje, Noriko? Aš visą dieną buvau užsiėmęs. [...] Betgi šitas pokalbis beprasmis. Tavo mama bent nusišnekėdavo taip, kad mudu abu galėdavom iš to pasijuokti. (p. 114) Popietei baigiantis nusprendžiau, kad būtų išmintinga kiek praskaidrinti Noriko nuotaiką, ir būtent iš šių paskatų, jai einant pro valgomąjį, kur sėdėjau ir skaičiau, tačiau: - Neįtikėtina, Noriko, kaip tu gali visą dieną praleisti vien gražindamasi. Galima būtų pamanyti, čia jau pačios vestuvės. - O tėveliui labai būdinga šaipytis, bet paskui pačiam nebūti tinkamai susiruošus, - atkirto ji. - Aš ilgai netruksiu susiruošti, - atsakiau juokdamasis. - Galvoje netelpa, kad tu tam skiri ištisą dieną. (p. 121) Mano laiško tonas buvo draugiškas ir taikingas, taigi nusivyliau po kelių dienų sulaukęs šalto ir įžeidžiamai trumpo atsakymo: "Neturiu pagrindo manyti, kad iš mūsų susitikimo galėtume tikėtis kokios vertingos išeigos, - rašė mano buvęs mokinys. - Dėkoju už aną dieną jūsų apsilankymu parodytą mandagumą, bet nesijaučiu galintis ir toliau trukdyti jus, versdamas atlikti tokią pareigą." (p. 120-121)

Geriausi dalykai, visada sakydavo jis, susideda iš nakties ir pranyksta rytui išaušus. Tai, ką žmonės vadina plūduriuojančiu pasauliu, Ono, Džisaburo mokėjo vertinti. (p. 156) Kai ruošiau tuos raižinius, buvau labai jaunas. Įtariu, kad nesugebėjau išaukštinti plūduriuojančio pasaulio dėl to, kad pats negalėjau prisiversti įtikėti jo verte. Jauni vyrai dažnai jaučia kaltę dėl malonumo, ir tikriausiai aš pats nebuvau kitoks. Spėju, tada maniau, kad leisti laiką tokiose vietose, švaistyti savo sugebėjimus aukštinant tokius neapčiuopiamus ir netvarius dalykus - laiko švaistymas, kad tai veikiau pagedimas. Sunku įvertinti pasaulio grožį, kai abejoji pačiu jo patikimumu. (p. 157)

-Per pastaruosius metus aš labai daug ko išmokau. Daug ko pasisėmiau, kontempliuodamas malonumų pasaulį ir vertindamas jo trapų grožį. Bet dabar jaučiu, kad atėjo metas man pereiti prie kitų dalykų. Sensei, aš įsitikinęs, kad tokiais neramiais laikais kaip šie menininkai privalo išmokti vertinti kai ką labiau apčiuopiama negu tie malonūs dalykai, pranykstantys rytui išaušus. Menininkams nebūtina visuomet gyventi dekadentiškame ir uždarame pasaulyje. Sąžinė man sako, Sensei, kad negaliu amžinai likti plūduriuojančio pasaulio menininku. (p. 188)

Join the discussion

Can't find what you're looking for.

An Artist of the Floating World KCSE Essay Questions and Answers by Kazuo Ishiguro

Fathers of Nations Excerpt Questions and Answers-Set 2

0754238886 for answers. Download Guide to All Set Books

A Silent Song and Other Stories Essay Questions and Answers-Set 2

The Novel An Artist of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro.  

1. War results in devastating consequences. Justify this statement by referring to the events in Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel, An Artist of the Floating World. (20 marks)

2. War and Conflict can have long lasting effects in the life of an individual. Write an essay asserting to the truth in the above statement.(20 marks)

3. „Significant forces makes us to retrogressively question our beliefs‟ Support using illustrations from Kazuo Ishiguro‟ An Artist of the  Floating World. (20 marks)

4. ‘ An Artist of the floating world is a Novel about intergenerational conflicts’ Discuss. (20 marks)

5. There may be generational conflict between the young and the old in any society, but the young have a moral obligation to obey and respect the elderly. Drawing relevant illustrations from Kazuo Ishiguro’s An Artist of the Floating World , write an essay in support of this statement. (20 marks)

6. War has a way of turning people’s lives inside out. Using specific illustrations from Ishiguro’s An Artist of the Floating World , write an essay to show the truth of this statement. (20 marks)

7. War is a social evil that should be avoided at all costs owing to its adverse consequences.  Validate the statement referring to Kazuo Ishuguro’s novel An Artist of the Floating World. (20 marks)

8. The novel: An Artist of the Floating World.

Yearning for reputation and social status can lead someone down to a path of fear and obsession.

Making reference to Ono in the Novel ‘An Artist of the Floating World’, discuss the validity of

this statement. (20 marks)

9. “War has mostly negative outcomes” with illustration from novel “An artist of floating world”support this statement. (20 marks)

Download Guide to all New Setbooks

contact 0754238886 for answers

Download More Revision Questions and Answers in pdf:

• An Artist Of The Floating World By Kazuo Ishinguro…
• Guide To An Artist Of The Floating World By Kazuo Ishiguro
• Themes In An Artist of The Floating World By BY…
• Characterization In An Artist Of The Floating World…
• Stylistic Devices In An Artist Of The Floating World…
• April1949-Chapter Summary To An Artist Of The…

OR MPESA BuyGoods Till: 858 39 54

Contact 0726568677 || 0728407013

Clicking "Pay Now" is better and automatic

Web Results

Page not found in our web.

The page you have requested cannot be located. This page may have been moved or discontinued.

An Artist of the Floating World

Kazuo ishiguro, ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions.

Advertisement

Justices Limit Power of Federal Agencies, Imperiling an Array of Regulations

A foundational 1984 decision had required courts to defer to agencies’ reasonable interpretations of ambiguous statutes, underpinning regulations on health care, safety and the environment.

• Share full article

By Adam Liptak

Reporting from Washington

• June 28, 2024

The Supreme Court on Friday reduced the power of executive agencies by sweeping aside a longstanding legal precedent, endangering countless regulations and transferring power from the executive branch to Congress and the courts.

The precedent, Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council , one of the most cited in American law, requires courts to defer to agencies’ reasonable interpretations of ambiguous statutes. There have been 70 Supreme Court decisions relying on Chevron, along with 17,000 in the lower courts.

The decision is all but certain to prompt challenges to the actions of an array of federal agencies, including those regulating the environment, health care and consumer safety.

The vote was 6 to 3, dividing along ideological lines.

“Chevron is overruled,” Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. wrote for the majority. “Courts must exercise their independent judgment in deciding whether an agency has acted within its statutory authority.”

In dissent, Justice Elena Kagan said the ruling amounted to a judicial power grab. “A rule of judicial humility,” she wrote, “gives way to a rule of judicial hubris.”

Justice Kagan summarized her dissent from the bench, a rare move and a sign of profound disagreement. “Courts, in particular this court, will now play a commanding role” in setting national policy, she said.

We are having trouble retrieving the article content.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and  log into  your Times account, or  subscribe  for all of The Times.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

Already a subscriber?  Log in .

Want all of The Times?  Subscribe .

An Artist of the Floating World

By kazuo ishiguro, an artist of the floating world quotes and analysis.

If on a sunny day you climb the steep path leading up from the little wooden bridge still referred to around here as the "Bridge of Hesitation," you will not have to walk far before the roof of my house becomes visible between the tops of two gingko trees. Matsuji Ono, in narration, p. 7

This first sentence of the book tells us a great deal about the novel's narrator and style, making it a particularly famous line. For one thing, the line turns us on early to the fact that we have an observant narrator with strong visual perception. He describes the route to his house as an artist would, attending to, for instance, the moment at which it comes into view. At the same time, this sentence lets us know that Ono is a man in the throes of uncertainty. Though he tries to project an air of authority here as he does elsewhere, giving instructions and showing that he is knowledgeable, his syntax says otherwise— the sentence begins with the word "if," a harbinger of our narrator's feelings of confusion and his inability to say whether anything is true beyond a doubt. The mention of the Bridge of Hesitation at this early point lets us know that the location will be important, but also hints at Ono's own hesitant attitude. Finally, the sentence is in the second person, which forces us to immediately come to terms with the fact that we, too, are a kind of character in this book, invoked through the word "you" to witness Ono's past and listen to his justifications of it.

"Ichiro," I said, more firmly, "wait a moment and listen. It's more interesting, more interesting by far, to pretend to be someone like Lord Yoshitsune. Shall I tell you why?" Matsuji Ono, p. 30

After Ono's small grandson explains that he is pretending to be a cowboy, Ono reacts in a way that seems oddly desperate and dismayed. His investment in Ichiro's choice of pretend game has little to do with which figures he thinks will be more interesting to his grandson. Instead, he is upset because he associates cowboys with American culture and the American occupation. Since he already believes that his son-in-law, and the younger generations more generally, are unpatriotic and bitter about Japan's role in the war, he is particularly alarmed by the idea that unpatriotic values are being passed on to his grandson. He encourages Ichiro to pretend to be a Japanese hero, like Lord Yoshitsune (a Medieval Japanese military figure). His firmness and repetitiveness in the above quote show that he is invested in Ichiro's choices to an alarming degree, so much so that he is unable to disguise his feelings.

It seemed to me that there was something unnaturally deliberate in the way my daughter uttered those words. Perhaps I imagined it, but then a father comes to notice any small inflexions in his daughter's speech. Matsuji Ono, p. 53

While talking to Noriko about her marriage negotiations and her run-in with Jiro Miyake, to whom she was previously engaged, Ono suspects that his daughter has a premeditated motive for the things she says to him. Generally, Ono is suspicious of his daughters, since he is convinced that he is hated by much of Japanese society and that his daughters are aware of this. As the book continues, we realize that this might not be true. However, Ono does an excellent job, for a while, of convincing the reader that he is indeed detested and that his daughters are working in concert against him. This quote showcases some of the ways that Ono convinces us of his accuracy. Rather than speaking in exaggerated or overly confident statements that make him appear deluded, Ono hedges and reconsiders, noting that he might have merely imagined his daughter's attitude, or that it only "seemed" that she spoke unnaturally. By speaking in a cautious tone, Ono cements our trust and convinces us that his suspicions must be correct after all.

"Our president clearly felt responsible for certain undertakings we were involved in during the war. Two senior men were already dismissed by the Americans, but our president obviously felt it was not enough. His act was an apology on behalf of us all to the families of those killed in the war." Jiro Miyake, p. 55

This conversation between Jiro Miyake and Ono is the first time that suicide is mentioned in the novel. The man Miyake brings up has a few alarming similarities to Ono: he was well-respected before the war, active in getting Japan into the war, and guilt-ridden afterwards. Therefore, when Jiro tells this story about the man's suicide, we immediately wonder whether Ono is contemplating suicide, or whether this information will cause him to do so. This story raises the stakes of Ono's psychological pain, showing that his might be a life-or-death situation. At the same time, Miyake's casual acceptance of this bizarre event shows how tumultuous, painful, and unusual this period of Japanese history was. Ono's struggles, Ishiguro reminds us, are part of a far broader social and political event.

"In any case, there is surely no great shame in mistakes made in the best of faith. It is surely a thing far more shameful to be unable or unwilling to acknowledge them." Matsuji Ono, p. 125

This statement, which Ono makes over dinner at Noriko's miai , summarizes the attitude that eventually helps him heal from his traumatic experiences. The Saitos, listening to Ono, are confused by his passionate argument, since, as it turns out, they are unaware of any untoward behavior in Ono's past. But Ono has sincere regrets about his artistic and political activities, even if those regrets are completely unknown or appear minimal to others. Though he makes this argument in order to convince the Saitos, he repeats it in various forms to himself for the remainder of the novel, showing that he has internalized the idea. While he might continue to wish that he'd acted differently in the past, Ono knows that he always acted out of moral conviction. This isn't a perfect source of comfort to him, but it's as good a source of comfort as he can find.

I realize that Akira Sugimura's name is rarely heard these days, but let me point out that not so long ago he was unquestionably one of the most powerful and influential men in the city. Matsuji Ono, in narration, p. 133

Ono spends much of this book's early pages describing Akira Sugimura and his family, from whom Ono bought his beautiful house. It is clear early on that he admires Sugimura and is honored to have been chosen as the new owner of the Sugimura house. When he brings Sugimura up again, though, much later in the novel, while describing Sugimura's plans to revamp Kawabe park, it becomes clear that his admiration is rooted in a sense of identification and familiarity. For one thing, Sugimura is a respected figure from the past—before American cultural and military dominance, before the younger generation displaced Ono's. Therefore, Ono feels a certain loyalty to him and to the social structure he represented. For another, we learn in this section of the book that Sugimura lost all of his money later in life. By defending another person whose social standing took a downturn, Ono implicitly defends himself, since his own stature took a hit after the war.

I confess I take a strange comfort from observing children inherit these resemblances from other members of the family, and it is my hope that my grandson will retain them into his adult years. Matsuji Ono, in narration, p. 136

This quote is a particularly heartbreaking one. While looking at Ichiro, Ono notices a resemblance between his grandson and various other family members, including his dead son, Kenji. Rather than say directly that he takes comfort in seeing Kenji's features reproduced, though, Ono hedges around the issue. He talks about the comfort he gains from seeing family resemblances generally, giving no special attention to Ichiro's particular resemblance to Kenji. His diction is striking, too. He "confesses" to the enjoyment he finds in these resemblances, as if afraid to admit to himself or to the reader that he is comforted by them. Ono rarely speaks directly about his grief for his son and wife, though he does so slightly more towards the end of the book, as if he is beginning to cope with their deaths. Here, though, we see that he can acknowledge his grief only obliquely.

In theory, of course, a good teacher should accept this tendency—indeed, welcome it as a sign that he has brought his pupil to a point of maturity. In practice, however, the emotions involved can be quite complicated. Matsuji Ono, in narration, p. 142

Ono says this in reference to his own old teacher, Moriyama, but the sentiment reverberates throughout the novel, since it applies equally to his own relationship with Kuroda. Every student/teacher relationship in this novel is fraught, particularly if the student in question is unusually talented. Here, Ono makes clear that he's aware of how fraught these relationships can be, yet he cannot offer a solution. It seems instead like a cyclical, inevitable part of life. All teachers, Ono argues, want students to succeed, and one aspect of success is the ability to think independently and distinctly. However, Ono points out, drawing on his own experiences, teachers are often offended when students begin to think independently and abandon their doctrines and methods. Though he knows that this tends to happen, Ono cannot avoid this fate when he meets it, both as a student in need of independence and as a teacher desiring loyalty.

When I am an old man, when I look back over my life and see I have devoted it to the task of capturing the unique beauty of that world, I believe I will be well satisfied. And no man will make me believe I've wasted my time. Seiji Moriyama, p. 150

Here, Moriyama presents one vision of art, and establishes himself as the passionate defender of this ideal. To Moriyama, art is supposed to record what is most beautiful, especially if it is rare or temporary. In this quote, he shows us that this stance comes from a place of passion and conviction—he is no less serious than those who devote themselves to political art. The statement is particularly resonant in the context of Ono's memories, since he is now an old man with many regrets. Unable to completely choose between Moriyama's ideal of beautiful art and Matsuda's ideal of world-changing art, Ono constantly feels that he has wasted his time, or worse. Moriyama presents an enviable picture of a person completely self-assured, with an unalterable set of principles.

"But Father's work had hardly to do with these larger matters of which we are speaking. Father was simply a painter. He must stop believing he has done some great wrong." Setsuko, p. 193

These words of Setsuko's represent a climactic turning point in this novel. Suddenly, we must question everything we have been told by our narrator. To an outsider like Setsuko, Ono has not behaved in a particularly reprehensible way. From a relatively objective point of view, as compared to her father's narration, Setsuko shows that very few people think about Ono at all—either with admiration, as he claims people once did, or with censure, as he believes they do now. This moment is revelatory for both Ono and the reader. Still, Setsuko's information applies only to Ono's reputation. She cannot address or solve the shame he feels about his betrayal of Kuroda, for example. Therefore, the quote speaks to the difference between Ono's personal feelings of shame and loss, and his completely unremarkable place in history.

"One can only wish these young people well." Masuji Ono, in narration, p. 206

The concluding line of An Artist of the Floating World summarizes the genuine shift in its protagonist's attitude over the course of the novel. After the war, Ono feels a deep alienation from his daughters and from the younger generation in Japan generally. He resents them and is convinced that they feel bitterly towards him and others of his generation. To an extent, to lend legitimacy to his feelings of loneliness and futility, Ono even invents aspects of his past that justify the distance he feels from younger people. By the end of the novel, though, Ono has reckoned with these feelings of distance and come to terms with them. When he sees young people talking at an office building, in the exact spot where he used to drink with friends, Ono does not feel threatened. Rather, he notices that the manner of these young people resembles those of his old friends. In this moment, Ono expresses his desire for the new generation to succeed, without irony or equivocation.

An Artist of the Floating World Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for An Artist of the Floating World is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Please help me with a plot for each page characters, theme and stylistic devices.

GradeSaver has a complete study guide for this unit readily available for your use. Simply navigate to the study using the title link at the top of the page.

Describe the character traits of major characters.

Ono is the novel’s protagonist and narrator. He is, at the time of the narration, an aging retired artist in post-war Japan. He has a somewhat mysterious past, which he reveals in small pieces, and it seems that his role in the art world once...

How did Master Takeda and Masjid Ono relate?

Ono worked for Master Takeda. During his time with Master Takeda, Ono learned that art is a process that belongs to the artist.... something that should not be created under factory-like conditions and deadlines. When Kuroda and the other pupils...

Study Guide for An Artist of the Floating World

An Artist of the Floating World study guide contains a biography of Kazuo Ishiguro, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About An Artist of the Floating World
• An Artist of the Floating World Summary
• Character List

Essays for An Artist of the Floating World

An Artist of the Floating World essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of An Artist of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro.

• The Use of Generational Differences in Order to Establish the Importance of the Floating World

Lesson Plan for An Artist of the Floating World

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to An Artist of the Floating World
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• An Artist of the Floating World Bibliography

Wikipedia Entries for An Artist of the Floating World

• Introduction
• Publication history
• Autobiographical elements