Different Generations=Different Worlds

         Politics, Music, War, Clothes, Religion. These are all examples of subjects that parents and their children often do not agree on. Throughout history opinions and interests change throughout generations. Younger generations have ideals and opinions on how things work around them that are different from the generations before them. Sometimes the views of the two generations are so different that they are like two different worlds. In the narrative “An Artist of The Floating World” by Kazuo Ishiguro a elderly Masuji Uno floats between the different worlds of generations. He looks back on his relationship with his father and how they had two different outlooks on life. While doing that he also realizes how there is a similar relationship between him and his daughter, son-in-law and others of their generation. Even the relationship between him and his grandson and the generation that his grandson. His grandson identifies with western culture and runs around yelling “Hi yo Silver!” imitating American cowboys.  

           “An Artist of the Floating World” is a narrative of Japan during it’s pre-war and post-war years retold and remembered through the eyes of Masuji Uno an retired artist and art teacher. It is set in October of 1948 after the 1945 atom bomb. During times of war is usually when generations disagree most. Masuji Uno is fortunate enough to live in a large house with a beautiful view that he earned through his credibility. He has two daughters one that is married with a son, and the other that is in the process of a marriage agreement. ALthough it may seem that Uno has it all his wife has passed away a year ago, his son died in the war. The town that he lives in is still damaged from the war. Uno is lost and floating between worlds, the worlds being generations.

           In this narrative Uno looks at his relationships with his family members When Uno looks back and remembers his relationship with his father the memories are not fond ones. Uno loved drawing and made the mistake of telling his mother that he planned on making a life career out of being an artist. Uno’s father was a business man and planned on Uno taking over his business, when hearing that Uno wanted to be an artist his father told him that it was not a respectable or acceptable career for Uno to have. His father believed that artists “live in squalor and poverty. They inhabit a world which gives them every temptation to become weak-willed and depraved” (Page 46). Uno disagrees and does not want the lifestyle that his father lives. He hated the life that his father had planned out for him. When Uno discussing his fathers disgust for his dreams of being an artist explains that he is bored of his fathers “business meetings”. When referring to his fathers lifestyle Uno stated that “I would never forgive myself if my life came to be like that” (Page 48). Uno’s father disagreed on how Uno wanted to live his life, but Uno also disagreed on how his father was already living his life. Uno was part of the artist world, and his father the business world.

        When it comes to the disagreement between Uno and his daughter’s generation it’s more of a political disagreement. After the war, many of those in high political positions committed suicide because they felt responsible and guilty for the outcome of the war. When having a conversation with a potential spouse for his daughter Uno talks about a recent suicide. He believes that it is sad and a lost of a good man. The younger man believed that there are many others that are cowards and not giving their lives up in apology. The younger generation has bitterness towards their elders because of all their friends that died in the war that was brought by the elders. Uno believes that you never question your elders. “These days I see it all around me; something has changed in the character of the younger generation in a way I do not fully understand, and certain aspects of this change are undeniably disturbing” (page 59). Uno’s generation grew up believing that dying for your country is an honor and that many good men are lost for the cost of the country. The generation of his son-in-law believe that the men died for no good reason. Uno's son being one that died for the war. Uno would like to believe that his son died in honor of his country and not for no reason at all.

         In conclusion, Uno finds himself floating between the worlds of generations. The difference between him and his father, and him and his children. The generations have different views on life and therefore are like different worlds.