Symbolism In The Sound Of Waves

How does the light vs. dark motif in the novel affect and represent Hatsue’s and Shinji’s relationship? The novel, The Sound of Waves by Yukio Mishima, tells a story of two young kids that fall in love and the conflicts that arise with it. Hatsue and Shinji dealing with their clashing classes causes them to fall in love. The light vs, dark represents the up and downs, the good and the bad of Hatsue’s and Shinji’s relationship. Mishima uses this light vs. dark motif in many different ways.Mishima uses Hatsue and Shinji‘s relationship to represent the light vs. dark in the novel. Mishima also represents the light vs. dark motif by outlining each of the characters personalities and emotions, based on what they say or how they view Hatsue’s and Shinji’s relationship throughout the book, as well as social classes. Mishima also uses the setting of the novel with the day and night as well as the sea to represent the light vs. dark. How the light vs. dark connects with Hatsue and Shinji’s relationship.

When Hatsue and Shinji met face to face a bird flies over their heads, and Shinji takes this as a sign of good luck. “ So the two of them simply stood there startled, like animals that come suddenly face to face in the forest, looking into each other’s eyes,

“ It’s all because I’m poor ” (113). There are wealthy people on the island as well as poor, the rich live in nice luxurious houses, while the poor live in small foul-smelling houses. Since Yasuo was wealthy Terukichi felt that a wealthy man was the right man for Hatsue. Shinji had given up hope that he would be with Hatsue and that light was that Hatsue and Shinji’s love for each other was too strong for any money problems to break them apart. This is a representation of how although Shinji is poor he is still willing to do anything for