The Custom House (Masterplots II: British and Commonwealth Fiction Series)
At a glance:
- Author: Francis King
- First Published: 1961
- Type of Work: Social criticism
- Time of Work: The 1950’s
- Setting: Kyoto, Japan
- Principal Characters: William Knox, The Reverend M. C. Welling, Setsuko, Asai, Furomoto, Sanae, Aileen Colethorpe, The Reverend Mr. Ambleside
- Genres: Long fiction, Social realism
- Subjects: 1950’s, Culture, Values, Race, Sex or sexuality, Murder or homicide, Social issues, Missions or missionaries, Christianity, Ethics, Japan or Japanese people
- Locales: Kyoto, Japan
The Novel
The title The Custom House is taken from a sermon delivered toward the story’s end by missionary M. C. Welling and refers to a heavenly custom house wherein the content of departed souls’ earthly existence is assessed. This assessment is an excruciatingly penetrating one: No secrets are allowed by the heavenly customs official and no covering up of past sins is possible. All who enter the custom house receive the judgment they deserve.
Certainly, the title accurately describes the careful examination of lives undertaken by the narrator, William Knox,...
[The entire page is 2485 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
Navigate
