Kazuo IshiguroA Pale View of Hills: Kazuo Ishiguro A Pale View of Hills Narrative Technique


Kazuo Ishiguro : Kazuo Ishiguro Born in 1954 in Nagasaki, Japan Moved to England at five, this significantly impacted his language as Japanese was only used at home Never returned to Japan until adulthood After university became a social worker and attempted a career as a singer and songwriter A Pale View of Hills began his literary career


Prizes and Awards I: Prizes and Awards I 1982 Winifred Holtby Memorial Prize A Pale View of Hills 1986 Booker Prize (shortlist) An Artist of the Floating World 1986 Whitbread Book of the Year An Artist of the Floating World 1989 Booker Prize for Fiction The Remains of the Day 1995 Cheltenham Literary Festival Prize The Unconsoled 1995 Order of the British Empire


Prizes and Awards II: Prizes and Awards II 1995 Premio Scanno (Italy) An Artist of the Floating World 1995 Whitbread Novel Award (shortlist) The Unconsoled 1998 Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (France) 1998 Premio Mantova (Italy) 2000 Booker Prize (shortlist) When We Were Orphans 2000 Whitbread Award (shortlist) When We Were Orphans


A Pale View Of Hills: A Pale View Of Hills


A Pale View of Hills as Postmodernist Text: A Pale View of Hills as Postmodernist Text An experiment with narrative techniques Postmodernism rejects the idea of a single, unifying truth, history or objectivity The traditional notion of the narrator, particularly in terms of authority and truth, is questioned The author leaves control and responsibility for the construction of meaning with the reader The boundaries between fiction, lies and half-truths becomes blurred The narrative is to be found in what is not written rather than the text itself


Narrative StructureThree Narrative Frames: Narrative Structure Three Narrative Frames


Three Narrative Frames: Three Narrative Frames Outer frame Surrey early 1970’s concerns Niki’s visit to her mother and the relationship between mother and daughter Inner Frame Nagasaki early 1950’s concerns the friendship between Sachiko and Etsuko until the evening of Sachiko’s leaving for Kobe. (The narrative moves backwards and forwards between these two frames) Innermost Frame Nagasaki 1940’s concerns Etsuko’s and Sachiko’s lives before, during and immediately after the war This narrative told in fragments by Etsuko, Sachiko, Ogata and Mrs Fujiwara: the survivors


The Outer Frame - Surrey 1975: The Outer Frame - Surrey 1975 Niki’s 5 day visit after Keiko’s funeral The women talk about the present and futures, but guardedly For both the past is too painful: Keiko’s suicide Their relationship is also full of suppressions. Niki’s phone calls to London The visit acts as catalyst for Mrs. Sheringham’s memories of Sachiko Neither woman shares her thoughts Postmodern = lack of resolution


The Inner Frame - Nagasaki 1952 (?): The Inner Frame - Nagasaki 1952 (?) Mrs. Sheringham’s remembered Japan A time of rebuilding and optimism The narrative concerns the friendship between Sachiko and Etsuko Also the relationship between the two women and Mariko Ogata-San’s visit Discussion of the past and lost values A visit to the hills of Inasa Mariko and the kittens The Subplot: Ogata-San and Shigeo Matsueda Self justification and refusal to accept accusations of responsibility and guilt This is a reflection of the themes of the outer frame


The Innermost Frame Pre-war Nagasaki: The Innermost Frame Pre-war Nagasaki


The Innermost Frame - Nagasaki 1945: The Innermost Frame - Nagasaki 1945


Slide13:


The Innermost Frame - Nagasaki 1945: The Innermost Frame - Nagasaki 1945


The Innermost Frame - Nagasaki 1945: The Innermost Frame - Nagasaki 1945


A Victim: A Victim Why is there almost nothing in the novel about the bombing of Nagasaki or its long term effect on the survivors?


Memory and The Camera: Memory and The Camera


Narrative Truth:Perception in the Postmodern World: Narrative Truth: Perception in the Postmodern World


A Suppressed Narrative: A Suppressed Narrative Post-modernism rejects absolute truth. 'Keiko was happy that day' reveals that Keiko, not Mariko, visited the hills of Inasa If 'Mariko' is Keiko, who is 'Sachiko'? We must construct the 'real' narrative This can only be done by re-examining Mrs Sheringham’s half truths, lies and evasions We must examine her psychological motives for suppression. Why would she want to bury the truth from herself, from Niki and from us?


Mrs. Sheringham as Narrator: Mrs. Sheringham as Narrator The narrator reveals herself to be unreliable She is unwilling or unable to confront her past her actions surrounding her departure from Japan her responsibility for her daughter’s suicide as a survivor of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki She needs to create an palatable version of her past and herself She blurs the boundaries between fiction, lies and half truth Many contradictions between the outer and inner narrative The reader must participate in the creation of a suppressed narrative She does not 'provide an unwavering testimony to the realities' of her own past


Etsuko : Etsuko Remembered self Survivor of Nagasaki Lost all her family and boyfriend Former music student Married to Jiro Possibly a former pupil of her father-in-law, Ogata-San Pregnant, expecting first child Concerned about impending motherhood Lives in westernised flat overlooking the waste ground Nostalgic for a ‘lost’ Japan Stares out of apartment Conservative and conventional towards family life Self-sacrificing, helpful Concerned for Mariko’s well-being Passive and uncomplaining with Jiro Concerned to do best for others Goal = stable family in Japan Monolingual Japanese


Sachiko: Sachiko Remembered 'other' - not self Unconventional and unconcerned about opinions of family or neighbours Self-centered and manipulative Dynamic and unnostalgic about the past Dissatisfied with her lot and ruthless in her aims Goal is the American Dream Survivor Tokyo accent Widowed?. Bilingual Comes from a prosperous liberal family Now in a relationship with American, Frank Abusive and negligent towards daughter Mariko Lived with her uncle after the war Lives in old damp cottage Refined tastes Early thirties. Deceptive appearance Air of quiet desperation ‘Spins on a sixpence’


Mrs Sheringham as Etsuko: Mrs Sheringham as Etsuko Etsuko? Early twenties? Idealised traditional Japanese housewife? Kind and concerned? Filial devotion to Ogata-san? Mother figure to Mariko? Innocent of wrongdoing? Victim of Jiro’s neglect and indifference? Unable to understand English?


Mrs Sheringham as Sachiko: Mrs Sheringham as Sachiko Sachiko? Ambitious and desperate? Monstrous mother? Wicked witch ? Guilty? Perpetrator? Arrogant? Unconcerned for the feelings and welfare of others? The woman by the river?


The Reflected Self: The Reflected Self What is the narrative that Mrs Sheringham cannot admit to herself or to us? But what does she see when she stares into the darkness? How do Sachiko’s actions relate to Keiko’s suicide? Where is Mr Sheringham in the suppressed narrative? Ultimately, how did Etsuko Ogata become prosperous Mrs Sheringham of Surrey?


Slide26:


Slide27: