apparent in the writings of Natsume Sōseki (1867–1916), often considered as the most important novelist of the period. His works are tranches de la vie in the naturalistic manner of late nineteenth-century European literature, by which he was much influenced. However, Natsume’s naturalism did not lead him to the portrayal of the lower depths of society, as frequently in European works. He preferred instead to treat the day-to-day experiences of quite ordinary people, usually of the middle class. Sometimes Natsume describes moments when the lives of such people are touched by dramatic events, but he was especially interested in the quiet routine of daily living. Natsume’s works still delight Japanese, largely because of his beautiful style, but a Western reader may find the oriental calm achieved by Natsume to be at times insufficiently engrossing.
The novel of the Meiji era which I believe has the greatest interest for the Western reader of today is The Broken Commandment (1906) by Shimazaki Tōson (1872–1943). This is the story of a young man who is a member of the eta or pariah class.[1] Although discrimination against members of this class has long been prohibited by law, feeling is still rather strong among Japanese on the subject, and fifty years ago it must have been far more intense. The young man of the novel is commanded by his father never under any circumstances to reveal to others that he is an eta, and he manages in fact to conceal it from even his closest friends during the time that he is at school, and later, when he becomes a teacher. But he cannot help showing his sympathy for the eta in spite of all his efforts to keep the vow
- ↑ The eta are an outcast class in Japan, somewhat resembling the untouchables of India. Their traditional occupations included those of butcher, tanner, sandal-maker, etc. Although it has been forbidden since 1871 to discriminate against eta, or even to refer to them by that name, the prejudice against them still persists.
