Betrayal

=Betrayal - the sailor who fell from grace with the sea=

In the novel //__the sailor who fell from grace with the sea__// by Yukio Mishima, the deterioration of the relationships between the three main characters is shown through the numerous betrayals that occur.
 * Topic Sentence:**

In the novel __//The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With the Sea//__ by Yukio Mishima, The story revolves around the lives of the three main characters Noboru, Ryuji and Fusako. As the novel progresses, the relationships between these three characters either deteriorates slowly or is completely destroyed through the numerous acts of betrayal that occur. The deterioration of Noboru and Ryuji's relationship is a direct cause of Ryuji's actions which ultimately leads to his death at the hands of Noboru and the boys. Fusako's relationship with Noboru also deteriorates as she is drawn closer towards Ryuji and further away from her son and Fusako's relationship with Ryuji is also destroyed due to Noboru's sense of betrayal that drives him to commit murder in the end.
 * Introduction:**


 * Ryuji and Noboru**
 * Ryuji's betrayal of Noboru is shown through his betrayal of the sea and his actions which ultimately leads to his murder by the boys**.
 * Ryuji is at first idolized by Noboru for being who he was. However as the story progresses and Ryuji decides to leave behind his life at sea for a peaceful one on land with Fuasko, Noboru comes to feel betrayed since Ryuji went from someone that represented everything the boys stood for into everything they were against.


 * "Are you going to give up the life which has detached you from the world, kept you remote, impelled you towards the pinnacle of manliness? The secret yearning for death. The glory beyond and the death beyond." (111)


 * Perhpas one of the most obvious betrayals in the book. Ryuji is at first somebody who Noboru idolizes and wants to show off to the chief and boys because he feels that Ryuji represents exactly what the boys believe in. However as the book progresses, Ryuji begins to lose some of these traits and in the end through changes in Ryuji's actions and thoughts, Noboru comes to despise him. The fact that Ryuji later becomes Noboru's father also adds on to this feeling of being betrayed since in Noboru and the other boy's minds, a father figure was the worst thing that anyone could be.
 * "Noboru listened feeling as though he were about to suffocate. //Can this man be saying things like that? This splendid hero who once shone so brightly?//" (158)
 * "Tomorrow Ryuji's slavish hands, the hands of a father puttering over carpentry of a Sunday afternoon, would close forever the narrow access to that unearthly brilliance which he himself had once revealed." (158)
 * Noboru's betrayal of Ryuji is shown when he conspires and carries out the act of killing Ryuji at the end of the book which not only severes the relationship between Ryuji and Noboru but also indirectly affects Fusako's relationship with Ryuji which ceases to be because of Ryuji's death.
 * ""Here's your tea," Noboru offered from behind him, thrusting a dark-bown plastic cup near Ryuji's cheek." (181)
 * this line is a clear indication of Noboru's betrayal of Ryuji. The fact that Noboru thrust the tea from behind is a metaphor for him stabbin Ryuji in the back or in other words betraying him.
 * Finally at the end of the novel, Ryuji realizes the profoundly negative aspects of having betrayed and given up the sea for a peaceful life on land. However, the ultimate irony of the whole novel is presented in this section where Ryuji finally realizes what he has lost and longs for it again but is betaryed by Noboru and killed by the boys for masking his true self and pretending to be somebody else.
 * "I could have been a man sailing away forever. He had been fed up with all of it, glutted, and yet now, slowly, he was awakening again to the immensity of what he had abandoned." (179)
 * Another ironic aspect of this relationship is that Ryuji was completely clueless as to the negative effects his acts of kindness had on Noboru.
 * "This was the first son-to-father favor Noboru had ever asked and Ryuji was determined not to betray the boy's trust." (169)
 * This line is ironic because Ryuji agrees to do this favor in an attempt to bolster the relationship between them while in reality, this favor would actually lead him to his death.


 * Noboru and Fusako**
 * Noboru and Fusako's relationship deteriorates as Noboru sees through Fusako's false appeasement towards him and also when Noboru is caught spying on Fusako**.
 * After meeting Ryuji, Fusako's attitude slowly changes where she becomes much closer towards Ryuji and starts drifting away from Noboru. Her apparent affection shown in the last section of the novel towards Noboru also shows her attempt at trying to appease him in order for him to accept Ryuji. Thus Noboru feels betrayed by his mother for not just choosing another man over him but also for her deception.
 * "Fusako, who was maintaining a gentleness as smooth as oil, didn't even scold him for not answering (142).
 * This line shows a change in tone or attitude where Fusako does something she normally would not have done. Her false layer of appeasement is also portrayed by the simile "gentleness as smooth as oil" since the word gives the readers a feeling that this gentleness was an act of deception. However the irony to this is that because of Fusako's attempt at trying to appease Noboru, which Noboru sees right away, is a complete failure in that it makes Noboru hate Fusako and Ryuji even more.
 * Fusako's discreetness and lack of trust with Noboru is also a factor that leads to the breakdown of this relationship. By keeping the fact that Fusako and Ryuji were going to be married from Noboru until the very end, Fusako causes Noboru to strengthen his hatred towards them and also his sense of being betrayed by his mother.
 * One of the most important factors that caused the deterioration of this relationship was Noboru's act of betrayal when he decided to start spying on Fusako through the peephole and is later caught by Fusako.
 * "It's just so humiliating! My own son, a filthy, disgusting thing like that... Oh, Noboru, how could you have done this to me!" (153)
 * The language used by Fusako in this line is very powerful with words like "filthy", "disgusting" and "thing". By allowing a mother to describe her son in this manner, Mishima emphasizes how much Fusako has been hurt by Noboru's betrayal.
 * "She comprehended with terrific speed." (151)
 * This line further emphasizes the lack of trust already present between mother and son since Fusako was able to come to a conclusion of exactly what Noboru was doing in seconds while Ryuji who was quite trusting of Noboru had no idea what the light through the hole meant.


 * Fusako and Ryuji**
 * The complete destruction of the relationship between these two characters, unlike the other two relationships found between the main characters, is not directly caused by either Fusako or Ryuji but rather Noboru and his sense of being betrayed.**
 * Through the deterioration of the relationship between Noboru and Ryuji which ultimately leads to Ryuji's death, the relationship between Fusako and Ryuji is also affected significantly. Although this relationship would've probably been the one that grew stronger instead of weakening, Noboru's decision to go along with the Chief's plan and murder Ryuji destroys any hope of this happening.

In the novel The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With the Sea by Yukio Mishima, The story revolves around the three main characters Noboru, Ryuji and Fusako. As the novel progresses, the relationships between these three characters either deteriorates slowly or is completely destroyed through the numerous acts of betrayal that occur. The deterioration of Noboru and Ryuji's relationship is a direct cause of Ryuji's actions which ultimately leads to his death. Fusako's relationship with Noboru also weakens as she is drawn closer towards Ryuji and further away from her son and Fusako's relationship with Ryuji is destroyed due to Noboru's sense of betrayal that drives him to commit murder in the end.
 * The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With the Sea - Betrayal**

Ryuji’s betrayal is shown through his actions and his betrayal of the sea which ultimately leads to his demise. Ryuji is at first somebody who Noboru idolizes and wants to show off to the chief and boys because he feels that Ryuji is a symbol for the boys’ ideals. However as the book progresses, Ryuji begins to lose some of these traits and in the end through changes in Ryuji's actions and thoughts such as leaving behind his life at sea for a peaceful one on land, Noboru comes to despise him. The fact that Ryuji later becomes Noboru's father also adds on to this feeling of betrayal since in Noboru’s mind, a father figure is the worst thing that anyone can be. This can be shown by the line "Noboru listened feeling as though he were about to suffocate. Can this man be saying things like that? This splendid hero who once shone so brightly?" (158) which emphasizes Noboru’s disgust at what Ryuji has turned into. Noboru's betrayal of Ryuji is shown when he conspires and carries out the act of killing Ryuji at the end of the book which not only severs the relationship between Ryuji and Noboru but also indirectly affects Fusako's relationship with Ryuji. Mishima uses one of the last lines in the book ""Here's your tea," Noboru offered from behind him, thrusting a dark-brown plastic cup near Ryuji's cheek." (181) to portray Noboru’s betrayal of Ryuji. The fact that Noboru thrusts the tea from behind is a metaphor for stabbing Ryuji in the back. Therefore Ryuji’s change in behavior and attitude is seen as a sign of betrayal by Noboru who in turn betrays Ryuji’s trust as he resorts to killing him in the end.

Noboru and Fusako’s relationship deteriorates as Noboru sees through Fusako’s deceptive attitude of appeasement and when Noboru is caught spying on Fusako. After meeting Ryuji, Fusako's attitude slowly changes where she becomes much closer towards Ryuji and starts drifting away from Noboru. Her apparent affection shown in the last section of the novel towards Noboru also shows her attempt at placating him in order for him to accept Ryuji. Thus Noboru feels betrayed by his mother for not just choosing another man over him but also for her deception. In the line "Fusako, who was maintaining a gentleness as smooth as oil, didn't even scold him for not answering” (142) A change in Fusako’s attitude or actions is shown as she does something uncustomary. Her false layer of appeasement is also portrayed by the simile "gentleness as smooth as oil" since the word gives the readers a feeling that this gentleness is an act of deception. One of the most important factors that causes the deterioration of this relationship is Noboru's act of betrayal when he decides to start spying on Fusako through the peephole and is later caught. When Fusako says the line "It's just so humiliating! My own son, a filthy, disgusting thing like that...” (153) the language used is very powerful with words like "filthy", "disgusting" and "thing". By allowing a mother to describe her son in this manner, Mishima emphasizes how much Fusako has been hurt by Noboru's betrayal.

The destruction of the relationship between Ryuji and Fusako, unlike the other two relationships found between the main characters, is not directly caused by either of the characters but rather Noboru and his sense of betrayal. Through the destruction of the relationship between Noboru and Ryuji which ultimately leads to Ryuji's death, the relationship between Fusako and Ryuji is also affected significantly. Although this relationship would’ve strengthened instead of weakening, Noboru's decision to aid the Chief in murdering Ryuji destroys any chance of that happening.

Word Count: 750

Mishima, Yukio. __The Sailor who Fell from Grace with the Sea__. Trans. John Nathan. New York: Vintage International, 1994.