The Sound Of Waves Essay

In the book, The Sound of Waves, Mishima uses direct characterization to characterize Terukichi as a respected man on the island and a man who has authority. In The Sound of Waves, Mishima creates many obstacles for Shinji to be with Hatsue, the daughter of a man who is well respected, and also has much authority. “He knew that her father was Terukichi Miyata, the wealthy owner of two coasting freighters chartered to Yamagawa Transport- the hundred- and- eighty-five-ton Utajima- Maru and ninety-five ton Haraukaze- Maru”(Mishima 18). The author uses social commentary to portray the social status of Terukichi, as the whole island identifies him as this very important wealthy man, who is respected because of all this money and the ships he has. We are introduced early to this in the book, amongst the first chapters as Shinji starts to fall in love with a young girl who he has never seen on the island

With being a well-respected man, Mishima also demonstrates how Terukichi has authority and has the people that work for him look for which one on the men have the greatest success to go on and marry his daughter. He has people working for him in search of the one for his daughter, demonstrating the respect and power he has. For instance we get to that he is someone of a high social status when ever he has important people over his home, “tomorrow nigh for a wonder father is having visitors, they’re some prefectural officials from Tsu and will spend the night…”(130). Not anyone would just come visit the island of no reason, and the fact that the author uses those word choice “prefectural officials” changes the tone of the novel in that instance to serious because the word structure makes the seriousness of the scene very important as this is possibly (we think at that moment in the story) one of the only times Hatsue was able to see