31
The following excerpt from Futon implies Katai's tacit agreement with Hauptmann's concept of natural human emotions, as described in the relationship between Johannes and Anna.
Not that he [Tokio] was comparing himself with Johannes, he was deeply moved by Johannes' love for Anna and thought that if there were such a girl as Anna, it would be a natural consequence to fall into such a tragedy.[1]
Tokio falls in love with Yoshiko who has shown respect for his literary work. In the following passage, Katai reiterates his previous comments relating to the natural behavior of a lonely man.
As was the case with Johannes in Einsame Menschen he began to realize that having a 'housewife' was pointless. His loneliness--this lonely situation was broken by Yoshiko. Who would not fail to be moved by such a beautiful and stylish pupil who honored him by calling him "Sensei" "Sensei!"[2] as if he were the greatest person in the world.[3]
Katai seems to justify Tokio's admiration for Yoshiko by taking Tokio's side of the issue: "Who could not fail to be moved by such a beautiful and stylish pupil who honored him. . . as if he were the greatest person in the world." But unlike Johannes, Tokio was restrained by the traditional ethics which prohibit him, as her mentor, from openly expressing his affection to Yoshiko. Tokio is only able to love Yoshiko in a platonic manner. While Tokio is pondering how to overcome this obstacle, Yoshiko falls in love with a young student named Tanaka. On being informed of her love affair Tokio was filled with mixed emotions and felt as if a burning fire was raging through his mind and body. He became unable to control himself and cried out: "Nonsense! How can love discriminate between a mentor and his pupil!"[4]
