Final Thoughts On The Floating World

When I was a kid my Dad let a homeless couple and their son live with us for a month. Don’t laugh, this really did happen.  The family was trying to make their way to Texas but ran out of money mid way through California.  It wasn’t a pleasant experience for my family; the only person who didn’t complain was my Dad. Years later, I asked him why he’d been so generous.  His concern was for the young boy, He couldn’t handle the thought of him sleeping on the streets. He told me as a child he’d been through a similar experience and felt it was his responsibility to do something.  This was my Dad’s way of being a responsible citizen of the floating world. He empathized with the family’s situation, and did what he could to help. Through this past semester, five books have shown me the deeper side of the floating world, and the lessons one learns while trying to navigate it.

v    An Artist of the Floating world, written by Kazuo Ishiguro

v    A Question of Power, written by Bessie Head

v    Jasmine, written by Bharati Mukherjee

v    East, West, written by Salman Rushdie

v    Artists of the Floating World, written by Rob Burton

In my opinion An Artist of the Floating World, and A Question of Power offer the most practical advice. However without having Artists of the Floating World as a reference to accompany these readings, I would have misunderstood or ignored many of the lessons taking place in them.

Of all the books, A Question of Power written by Bessie Head, takes the reader on a rollercoaster of emotional highs and lows that leaves you exhausted.  This book has the most to offer. It’s based and true events, as a result A Question of Power resonates more with the reader. If Elizabeth the main character has anything to teach us, it’s that one must learn to give and take in order to have a fulfilling life.  Elizabeth a woman without personal frames, a country, or family, pulls herself out of a state of hallucination and depression by learning to rely on those around her.  Elizabeth gains acceptance and love by sharing her knowledge and compassion. If she had remained an outsider her demons likely would have overtaken her.  Reflecting back upon the first time Elizabeth met her good friend Kenosi the author notes that, “ looking back on this strange week and the Kenosi woman’s sudden appearance as one of the miracles or accidents that saved her life” (Page 89).

In An Artist of the Floating World, Masuji Ono shows us the importance of self-reflection and owning up to past mistakes. This man has gone through the second half of his life with a guilty conscious. His guilt creates a false sense of paranoia, which serves, as it’s own best antidote. Ono is forced to deal with past decisions and make amends. As I’ve stated before, when Ono makes his final comment about Japans situation (page, 206) he’s really referring to himself. He believes that no matter what mistakes Japan/Ono may have made in the past, they both have another chance to make a better go of things. Ono’s situation is pretty common, often our problems sound worse in our head then they really are. Keeping that in mind one should then strive to be more open with others, and expect to make mistakes. Admitting to ourselves that we will make mistakes is a great way to become not only a better person but also lead a more fulfilling life.

The lessons taken from each book and character are simple. So simple that it makes you wonder why they struggled so much. The answer was right in front of them. Elizabeth needed help but didn’t know where to find it, and Ono only had to say the words “I was wrong”.  The inability to see the answer right in front of them is what makes them human. This is where being a responsible member of the floating world comes in.  When you see someone like Elizabeth, a person who can’t help themselves, or the outsider. It becomes your responsibility to help them keep afloat. No one benefits from a sinking population. 

The journey of this class has directed me to this realization “A citizen of the floating world recognizes and acknowledges that the subaltern is actually a part of themselves.” (Artists of the Floating World, Page131-132) It’s our responsibility to listen to the subaltern voices. My Dad understood this when he helped the homeless family. I hope that when I’m faced with a similar situation I’ll have the knowledge to recognize the silent call for help, and do something about it.