More notes on Thousand Cranes (by Yasunari Kawabata)

Symbols

Chikako’s “ugly birthmark” - all of Chikako’s ugliness and evil

“shade of the park” - respite and freedom of Kikuji after he decides to leave Chikako (end of novel)

morning glory

red and black cups - man and wife

shino (chalice) - female/women

white cranes - peace, purity, escape for Kikuji away from the chaos of his life (problems with Chikako,                               Fumiko and Mrs. Ota)

Motifs

poison - coupled with likening Chikako to a snake (evil/Satan)

yellow -rotten, decaying

stains - ex. Ms. Ota’s lipstick

flower

Themes

inescapability of memory

vicariously living life - Kikuji is often following Mr. Ota’s life, as Mrs. Ota’s life is put on Fumiko

Style

Japanese (traditional)style is economical and not wordy (can be contrasted to Gabriel Garcia Marquez                                                                                                                       e.x. One Hundred Years of Solitude)

**See more here

Tags: character, cliff notes, cliffnotes, essays, kikuji, literary analysis, motif, poison, sparknotes, symbol, thousand cranes chikako, thousand cranes spark notes, thousand cranes sparknotes, thousand cranes symbols, yasunari kawabata

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