Samurai Ethics in the Works of Kazuo Ishiguro

Japanese-British writer Kazuo Ishiguro is not very fond of critics concentrating on Japanese elements in his works , however, his first short stories and the following two novels take place – even if, as it is the case with A Pale View of Hills, only partly– in Japan, making it hard not to concentrate on the writer´s apparent preoccupation with his Japanese heritage. His third novel, featuring an English setting and characters – an old mansion, a butler, and his employer, may have been viewed as an attempt to break away from this line of interpretation on the one hand, on the other, however, it was the one work which first merited a mention of the similarities between the butler´s philosophy of life and the samurai code of honour. To the author, though, his three novels, namely A Pale View of Hills, An Artist of the Floating World, and The Remains of the Day, are linked primarily by their characters, who all seem to be stuck in similar situations, having to face their past – in all three cases the past ultimately revolves around their choices before, during and in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War – and consequently struggle with their long-repressed feelings of regret and even shame...

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

2. Samurai Ethics in the Novels of Kazuo Ishiguro

2.1. Samurai Ethics – An Overview
2.2. The Position of Woman – Ishiguro’s Female Characters
2.3. Suicide

2.4. The Duty of Loyalty

2.4.1. Filial Piety
2.4.2. Teacher-Student relationship
2.4.3. Loyalty to the Master
2.4.4. Serving a Higher Purpose

2.5. Self-Control

2.6. Ishiguro’s Imaginary Homeland(s)

3. Conclusion

4. Bibliography