In The Sound of the Waves, Yukio Mishima discusses the loss of traditional values ​​in Japan due to Westernization after the Second World War. Through powerful symbols and juxtapositions, Mishima effectively expresses his anger at the devastating effects of war, like a corrupt society, on Japan. With this novel, Mishima sends the message that “the old way is the right way.” In times of oppression and hardship, Mishima was still able to portray these hardships, such as the loss of culture, which gives great significance to his work.Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”?Get the original essay World War II transformed Japan economically and socially; Furthermore, it significantly influenced the way writers began to write (History of Japan: Postwar (1945)). After the war, Japanese writers began to write with darker overtones. Many writers have included themes of disaffection and defeat in their works; writers faced "moral and intellectual problems in their attempts to raise social and political consciousness" (post-war Japanese literature). However, Mishima's writing did not resemble the style of these authors. “Yukio Mishima” is a pseudonym for Kimitake Hiraoka, Mishima changed his name to hide from his father (Belsky), he oppressed Mishima's ideas, even before the war. All this rejection contributed greatly to Mishima's style; he ingeniously used symbols to hide the true meaning of his stories, just as he used a pseudonym to hide his true identity. Although he conveyed the same dark message as other writers of his time, he hid it with symbols. Mishima's use of symbols like the ocean and the weather represents the loss of culture that Westernization has brought to Japan. Mishima's style is almost like a Japanese dance, very delicate but powerful. The sound of the waves is an example of this "dance" whose history seems very delicate and simple, but it has an important meaning which reflects the corruption of Japan by the Western influences brought by the war. One of the qualities of Mishima's writing is his extensive use of symbols throughout his novel. Additionally, The Sound of Waves could be seen as a conceit representing a Westernized Japan. The ocean is one of the most important elements of the novel. Since Uta-jima is surrounded by it, it removes impurities from the city. The people, who have never left the island, are pure, simple and honest. “There were only four streetlights on the island […] intimidated and held back the night” (Mishima 90). The village, unlike the city, is not modernizing; this adds to the theme of Westernization, the island, which is seen as more peaceful and honest than the city, represents traditional Japan, and the city, which quickly adopts the greedy customs of the West, represents the new Japan. People who leave the island, like Hiroshi, Yasuo and Chiyoko, are considered evil. Through this, Mishima shows how Westernized Japan corrupts people. When Hiroshi returns from his trip to town, he is even more disrespectful towards his mother. “But Hiroshi didn't have a word to describe all the historical places they had” (Mishima 96), his forgetfulness regarding historical places shows a disregard for the old, which goes against the holistic theme of the novel that "the old way is the right way". path". The weather is as important as the ocean; every time the weather changes, it is not about the weather phenomenon,but there is also a change in the character's reality. Storms play a very important role in causing Shinji to become corrupt. They encourage him and Hatsue to break moral codes; however, they do not prove that some people have not yet been corrupted. They also prevent Shinji from showing that he is a "go-getter". “The wind came attacking from the black depths of the night, hitting him in the body, […] a little in a bad mood” (Mishima 162). However, Shinji shows that he is capable of saving the day. Furthermore, this task is very important to the novel, because it is when Shinji struggles to survive that he goes from being a young fisherman to becoming a man. The weather and the ocean contrast. While the ocean prevents westernization, the weather encourages it. Mishima emphasizes the idea that “the old way is right” by using competitions. When Hatsue wins the diving competition and then gives the purse to Shinji's mother, she apologizes for her aunt's behavior. This confirms the need to respect the old ways. The rivalry between Yasuo and Shinji represents the conflict in Japan between which is better the old or the young. Shinji's success in showing himself to be a "go-getter" supports Mishima's message of favoring old ways over new ones. Through its main characters, Mishima represents important characteristics of post- and pre-World War II Japan; this is significant because the contrast between these characters shows how traditional Japan is more honest than Westernized Japan. Shinji is not very intelligent, but he is very hardworking, upright and honest; his personality represents old Japan. Since the lighthouse keeper helped him succeed in high school, in exchange, he brings him fish for dinner. This shows respect and righteousness, the qualities of old Japan, on Shinji's part. Mishima mourned traditional Japan and demonstrates his frustration with this change in his book; he asserts his message through the main character Shinji. Even though his impulses lead him to make love with Hatsue, he respects her choice not to violate moral codes while they are at the lighthouse. This respect for women and moral codes shows the qualities of old Japan. Yasuo, unlike Shinji, is greedy, violent, rude, manipulative and stubborn. These qualities are due to his various trips around town. These trips corrupted him and his qualities represent Westernized Japan. Mishima emphasizes his message through the extensive use of juxtapositions between characters and locations. Yasuo's lazy and greedy personality contrasts with Shinji's hardworking and honest personality. Through their competition to obtain Hatsue, Mishima demonstrates the benefits of traditional, uncorrupted Japan. Chiyoko and Hatsue's comparison is similar to Yasuo and Shinji's, however, theirs is more physical. While Hatsue is pretty and Shinji is in love with her, Chiyoko is ugly and Shinji only sees her as a friend. Additionally, Chiyoko's jealousy led her to sneakily plot against Hatsue and Shinji, something Hatsue would never do; furthermore, she disrespects her parents, showing characteristics of the westernized Japan she experienced at university outside of Uta-jima. As we see with Hiroshi, Chiyoko and Yasuo, the city degrades honest people while the island remains honest. One reason that could explain this is that the island is surrounded by water while the city is not, which explains how the ocean washes away impurities from the West. The Sound of the Waves is a beautiful novel that seems at first glance to be a very simplistic love story. history. However, a closer look at the author's personal life reveals that the.