Parallels between the Works and the Life of Yukio Mishima
Parallels Between the Works and the Life of Yukio Mishima Throughout Yukio Mishima’s career as a writer he wrote in a variety of different styles and genres including poetry, waka poems and death poems as well as short stories, essays, magazine articles and novels (“Man of Words, Man of Actions”). Kimitake Hiraoka was born January 14, 1925 and later became known with the pen name of Yukio Mishima. Mishima created a career for himself as a successful author, poet, playwright, actor, director and model through his successful roots in writing. This earned him the title of being one of the most important Japanese writers of the 1900s. Mishima’s writing was influenced by a variety of factors including culture, family life, personal life and romantic affairs as well as death. Although most readers believe he writes about modern cultural influences, he actually focuses on the influences of his past in all phases and experiences of his life and works. Mishima developed a love for writing at the young age of twelve when he wrote his first stories. While growing up he was forced to overcome adversity such as secluded lifestyles and abuse all in order to continue his ventures in writing. He lived with both his immediate family as well his grandmother Natsu (“Who is Yukio Mishima?”). Mishima lived with Natsu, his grandmother, for several years and lived a secluded life where his time with others was restricted as well as his participation in games, sports and play however he was introduced to the magic of literature. Natsu’s introduction of literature was a source of inspiration for him to create stories of different lives that he could live vicariously through when he later returned home to live with his abusive father. When he moved back with his father who was a military and government official, Mishima was again treated poorly. While growing up with his father he was disciplined by being held up against the side of a speeding train, as well as sporadic searches of his
Cited: "Confessions of a Mask Study Guide." BookRags. Thomson Gale, 2006. Web. 11 Oct. 2011 Iannuzzi, Dennis Michael. “Yukio Mishima Books and Biography.” Yukio Mishima . Mind Spring, Jan. 2003. Web. 7 Oct. 2011. <http://dennismichaeliannuzz.tripod.com/.HTML>. Jñanavira, Dharmachari. "Homosexuality in the Japanese Buddhist Tradition." Western Buddhist Review Three (2001): n Web. 22 Oct. 2011. <http://www.westernbuddhistreview.com/vol3/ homosexuality.html>. Mishima, Yukio. Confessions of a Mask. Canada: New Directions Publishing Corps, 1958. Google Book Search. Web. 10 Oct. 2011. <http://books.google.com/?id=KpAj5LoyFz4C&source=gbs_navlinks_s>. “Who is Yukio Mishima?” WiseGEEK. Conjecture Corporation, 2011. Web. 10 Oct. 2011. <http://www.wisegeek.com/is-yukio-mishima.htm>. “Yukio Mishima - Man of Words, Man of Action.” Legacy: the Obit Report. Legacy, 1999-2011. Web. 6 Oct. 2011. <http://www.legacy.com//story.aspx?t=yukio-mishima--man-of-words-man-of-action&id=172>.