083684 TAN, Adrian Joseph B.

LIT 174-A Midterm Paper

Aliens and Modernization (): An analysis on The Legend of the Paper Spaceship by Tetsu Yano

I.

Introduction Modern Japanese literature, dating back to the post-Restoration period, contain various

elements of the modernism of Western literature that have been Japanized so to speak. Elements such as surrealism and naturalism all retain a sense of their essential function but have been appropriated to suit the Japanese style. For example, impressionism and symbolism adapted from Europe heavily influenced Japanese naturalism and resulted in a new naturalism that was particular to Japan.1 Aside from particular forms, modern Japanese literature contained common themes such as trying to describe this emerging new Japan while keeping an air of foreboding, as seen in the works of Natsume Soseki in the Seventh Night and Kunikida Doppo in Old Gen. Noticeably, modern Japanese literature served as some sort of commentary grounds on the issues of the day. So as during the period of World War II and afterwards, a lot of literary works came out regarding the different positions the Japanese had on the issue. Indeed other literary critics apparently agree with Sawaragi, noting that the motif of World War II is indeed a prevalent one in modern Japanese literature and film.2 Although the work to be analyzed here, The Legend of the Paper Spaceship by Tetsu Yano, does not center on the events of the
1

Sadami, Suzuki. interview by Raquel Abi-Samara. How would you define Japanese Modernism? May 2008. <http://www.nichibun.ac.jp/~sadami/what's%20new/paper/int-final.pdf> 2 Baryon Tensor Posadas. In the Spotlight of Misperception: Japanese Science Fiction vis--vis Western Science Fiction Set in Japan. Humanities Diliman 1, no. 1 (2000): 47. Accessed 10 January 2012. <journals.upd.edu.ph/index.php/humanitiesdiliman/article/.../11/457>

Second World War or, arguably, even its direct effects, it does have a relation. The characters, settings and events of this article are symbolic of how Japan during these periods of war, viewed and related to the arrival of modernization; which was a mixture of amicability and disdain.

II.

Key Points of the Story Unlike other modern works, The Legend of the Paper Spaceship is classified as science

fiction due to the hints on some of the characters being non-human or having technology far too advanced for the current times. It is centered on the themes of modernization and death. The story utilizes two general points of view. The first is in the first person point-of-view from a soldier who was stationed in the village for a couple of months during the Pacific War that notices the oddities surrounding the village. It switches to an alternating semi-omniscient and limited point of view as the story unfolds about events within the village that the soldier may or may not be fully aware of. There is also a heavy usage of passages and snippets of children songs and poems that are used to set the mood or change scenes.

III.

Literary Elements and Analysis A. Plot The plot for the most part is chronologically linear with a few flashbacks and breaks in between when it shifts to the point of view of the soldier which is to be understood as the present time. The story follows the life of Osen, a madwoman, in the village near the Endworld Mere. She is often taken advantaged of by the men of the village due to her beauty and allure. At some point she becomes pregnant and, despite the initial opposition of the women of the village, she firmly decides to keep it. The boy, Emon, is born and becomes a

strange oddity due to not being able to speak for a long time and possessing the ability to understand peoples true intentions in their minds. He is taken away from his mothers house by the men of the village and is set to live with his teacher who is shown to be attracted to him due to their similar personalities. He tries to piece together his mothers past through the memories and knowledge of the village people to find out why she turned out like this; since he is unable to read her mind for some unknown reason. At some point he revisits her and as they talk about their life, a strange force calls him away and his mother is left bitter and broken-hearted. At this point, she becomes vengeful and aggressive against anyone who would try to take advantage of her again. The plot itself employs a form of surrealism in the breaks of the story through the soldiers points-of-view. The story itself appears otherworldly but is repositioned in reality when it is told alongside the story of the soldiers own account of what he observed. B. Settings The setting is during the Pacific War in a village in the heart of the mountains that seemed to exist outside the administration of the Japanese government3 as observed by the soldier. The village itself is located near the Endworld Mere or the lake where people end their lives in old age. These two are bordered by the Sai no Kawara or the earthly shore where the journey over the Great Water began4 where the village people put up mounds to appease any of the lingering dead. The village itself being secluded and isolated is a representation of the traditional or old Japan. It held unto a great number of superstitions such as belief in the Wolf-God and the Brotherhood. It is also quite cut-off from the outside world, similar to the state of Japan

3 4

Tetsu Yano. The Legend of the Paper Spaceship. Gene Van Troyer and Tomoko Oshiro, trans., 168. Tetsu Yano. The Legend of the Paper Spaceship, 146.

during the Edo period.5 The presence of the soldier however, was a reminder that the current state outside this village was one of advancement and change. These two opposing ideas are symbolic of a certain degree of denial or rejection of the dawn of modernization in Japan. As the soldier observes, if going there I actually managed to come near the village proper, unless the military backed me I feel certain the locals would somehow block my return.6 Also, its nearness to the Endworld Mere is representative of the ever-presence of the spirit world and death which lends a certain otherworldly or supernatural atmosphere for the story that is prevalent from beginning till the end. C. Characters There are two main characters in the The Legend of the Paper Spaceship. Osen is the female protagonist that is described as a madwoman, an idiot, a whore, and property of the village. She is said to be much older than she looks and is a beauty like no other. Despite being regularly taken advantaged of, she represents a certain purity and mystery. Sleeping with her is regarded as a rite of passage for the men of the village. She is also said to be the sole survivor of one of the most prominent families in the area and is thought to be nonhuman to an extent. She often sings about flying home and a star far away which is partly why she is thought to be insane. Throughout the text, it is hinted that her father was probably not of this world. It does not discount the possibility of extraterrestrial beings since one of the stories recounted about the incident of their family involves a fiery column of light from the sky. She also displays supernatural powers such as great resistance to the weather, ability to telekinetically control the airplanes she makes and being able to control peoples actions through her words as seen in the end.
5

CIA. The World Factbook: Japan. Accessed 10 January 2012. <https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-worldfactbook/geos/ja.html> 6 Tetsu Yano. The Legend of the Paper Spaceship, 168.

Osen, as a the product of two different beings could represent a product of Japans involvement with the outside world. She is the fusion of tradition and modernization and represents the central idea of the text. In the same way that the men of the village cannot help but sleep with Osen and yet be equally uncaring for her; that in light of modernization and the emergence of a new Japan, traditional Japanese are at the same time attracted and repulsed by it. The key to development and accepting modernization lies with those who are halfway through the process. But at the same time, the hold on traditional roots is so great that they cannot help but hedge over where to go since there is always the sense of us against them.7 Her supernatural powers may be in a way a great exaggeration of the benefits that modernization would bring to those who have it. Emon is the male protagonist of the story. Like his mother, he displays a degree of supernatural capabilities such as super human intelligence and the capability to read minds or true intentions of others. He shows a great disdain for the carnal ways of the village people and their treatment of his mother. Through his telepathic powers, he was able to discover something about his father who was most likely not of this world as well due to the otherworldly memories of Osen of the experience. He would represent a greater modernized Japan as a product of Osen, a fusion, and of an outsider, representing advancement. Possibly even symbolic of the highly technological and advanced state that Japan is in now, seeing as how his interests and ways diverge greatly from the people around him. The villagers are indifferent towards Emon, most likely because they cant understand him. His unknown calling at the end by an unknown force is likely representative of the dissolution of that possibility of a greater modernized state because of inaction by the traditional Japanese.

The Japan Faq. Japanese Culture: A Primer for Newcomers. Accessed 11 January 2012. < http://www.thejapanfaq.com/FAQPrimer.html>

D. Symbols The most obvious symbol is the airplane that Osen flies around that doesnt seem to fall. As if pushed onward by that voice, the paper airplane lifts in never-ending flight.8 The airplane itself could be symbolic of successful modernization. Only Osen can cause it to fly since only she has the ability to. Its the same way that those who have taken steps toward modernization know how to move forward. The villagers, being basic and traditional are unable to steer or even imitate modernization. One old crone, with a gloomy, crestfallen face, took up a sheet of paper and folded it; but when she gave the plane a toss it dipped, fell to the polished planking of the open-air hallway.9 Something related to this are the songs and poems found within the story. The heavens song and the rope-skipping song as observed by the soldier change meaning with a few twist of words. The new words are slightly related to ships and flight that could be reflective of the context the soldier belonged to since he was part of the war effort. But as he speculates, this new meaning reveals something about the true nature of Osen and Emon; that they are truly not of this world and that they have a different home. The song even acts as a checklist so to speak according to him. Which in the most obvious way is a checklist towards modernization. Another symbol is Osens nature of being youthful freshness incarnate. This aspect is part of her allure that attracts the men of the village. It corresponds to part of the allure of modernization that not everyone understands. It is something new and desirable. In fact the soldier contemplates the possibility that she is the mystery of the village that keeps it together. The reason why it hasnt broken down and disappeared is because modernization is

8 9

Tetsu Yano. The Legend of the Paper Spaceship, 145. Tetsu Yano. The Legend of the Paper Spaceship, 152.

right there in their midst and the people of the village can have a taste of it anytime they pleased, it is always available. The last symbol is Endworld Mere. It is fitting that the house of Osen, who represents modernization or the new Japan, lives just atop the lake where people come to die. As if in that gesture, modernization is depicted as the future that stands above death. Advancement is the only thing permanent as human life fades under the surface of the water. When all the people traditional and basic as they are have gone, Osen would still be there atop the knoll overlooking Endworld Mere. She doesnt fear it as the villagers do. As modernization doesnt fear death but welcomes it as a reality. Therein lies another reason for the mixed feelings the villagers bear for Osen. Years pass and surely all age, but Osen retains all her youthfulness and even lives above death so to speak.

IV.

Conclusion From the different literary elements, one sees the Japanese naturalism in play that is

drenched in symbolism. It is also evident that despite the war context of this literary work, it is a story about the arrival of modernisation and change. The emergence of a new Japan is met by both positive and negative reactions that are not mutually exclusive as seen in the various contrasts with the characters and settings. It is possible that because the context was war and conflict that there is such a negative disposition towards modernization. And had it been in peaceful times, the story of the two otherworldly beings, Osen and Emon, could have turned out differently. As with the alternate future of Japan, if it did not enter into that state of war.

Bibliography
CIA. The World Factbook: Japan. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-worldfactbook/geos/ja.html (Accessed 10 January 2012). Posadas, Baryon Tensor. In the Spotlight of Misperception: Japanese Science Fiction vis--vis Western Science Fiction Set in Japan. Humanities Diliman 1, no. 1 (2000): 47. journals.upd.edu.ph/index.php/humanitiesdiliman/article/.../11/457 (Accessed 10 January 2012) Suzuki, Sadami. interview by Raquel Abi-Samara. How would you define Japanese Modernism? May 2008. http://www.nichibun.ac.jp/~sadami/what's%20new/paper/int-final.pdf (Accessed 9 January 2012). The Japan Faq. Japanese Culture: A Primer for Newcomers. http://www.thejapanfaq.com/FAQPrimer.html (Accessed 11 January 2012). Yano, Tetsu. The Legend of the Paper Spaceship, trans. Gene Van Troyer and Tomoko Oshiro. In Tales from the Planet Earth, 145- 168. New York: St. Martins Press, 1986.