Patriotism (Masterplots II: Short Story Series, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Yukio Mishima
- First Published: 1961
- Type of Plot: Psychological
- Time of Work: February 28, 1936
- Setting: Tokyo
- Principal Characters: Lieutenant Takeyama Shinji, Reiko
- Genres: Psychological fiction, Short fiction
- Subjects: Values, Sex or sexuality, Suicide, Death or dying, Loyalty, Rites or ceremonies
- Locales: Tokyo, Japan
The Story
Early in the morning on February 26,1936, about fifteen hundred officers and soldiers from the Japanese army's First Division attacked the homes of the prime minister and other officials and occupied parts of central Tokyo. After four days, the mutineers surrendered to loyal elements of the army that were brought in to quell the uprising. Quick trials and executions of the ringleaders brought an end to the anarchy that had prevailed in the Japanese military since 1931. “Patriotism” glorifies the ritual suicide of Lieutenant Takeyama Shinji and his wife as he finds...
[The entire page is 1788 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
See Also
