Gunnar's decision to commit suicide by the end of the book is questioned by multiple people as an act of submission and weakness. They assume that Gunnar's decision to not go out in a blaze of gloryis him accepting he won't win and giving up. However, Gunnar maintains that by killing himself, he isn't giving them the satisfaction of killing him. He quotes Mishima during an interview with a reporter-- "'Sometimes hara-kiri makes you win.' I just want to win one time".
Gunnar's character is overtly influenced by Japanese culture, first through Yoshiko, then through the literature she sends him. He rejects the Western concept of suicide as being dishonorable, instead viewing it as a final 'screw you' to the government.
Gunnar compares his suicide to seppuku, the ritual act of suicide by self-disembowelment reserved for samurai. Traditionally, it was used to preserve the dignity of the samurai rather than being disgraced by falling into the hands of their enemies. Gunnar embraces this view of suicide, rather than the western view, which views it as a sin. His decision highlights how Gunnar has experienced and has been influenced by multiple cultures-- black, white, and Japanese. His rejection of a western perspective also renforces that he goes against the grain of mainstream society and combines these different racial and cultural influences into his own unique ideology.
There's a real sense in "quitting America" there, too. He's rejecting the American sense of suicide, and, by the end of the novel, he also despairs about the uselessness of the *American* poet, and the meaninglessness of basketball, which as a sport is pretty American.
ReplyDeleteGood post! One thing I found especially interesting was the quote about Gunnar wanting to win one time. At first I wonder what he means because he always wins in basketball, but I realize that when he wins then it is not for him but for the fans who are always yelling "we need this free throw". This suicide is a way for him to win without others pushing him. The suicide is for his own honor and allows him to be the sole winner.
ReplyDeleteI think it's very interesting to look at the transformations that Yoshiko and Gunnar wrought on eachother! We are shown Yoshiko's learning of english, as she learns to speak in slang, and we are also shown Gunnar's strong tie with japanese culture in his final chapters. It's interesting to see a 3rd culture so quickly brought into a book that was at first black and white, and to have this new culture influence the entire book so much.
ReplyDeleteLooking back at the book it is interesting to see how much Gunnar is shaped by the various cultures he encounters. At first, he fits in perfectly in the "white culture" of Santa Monica because it's all he's ever known. When he moves to Hillside, his identity is dramatically influenced by the "black culture" he encounters though he retains some aspects of his Santa Monica self. Through Yoshiko, he discovers Japanese culture which shapes his ideas of suicide and eventually determines the outcome of the novel
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jackson. In addition to rejecting societal standards and expectations for him, Gunnar seems to be rejecting America as a whole. He feels like he can't fit in anywhere, and even he wants to die, he refuses to think about it in the "American" way. Throughout the entire book, we can see how Gunnar becomes progressively more tired with America and everything that comes along with it.
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