THE DANCING GIRL OF IZU (1926) SYPNOSIS

By Yasunari Kawabata. The nineteen-year-old narrator, an introspective

student on a holiday from an upper-class school in
Three aspects: Tokyo, is hiking the Izu Peninsula attempting to
 Extrication of “the rooted nature of an escape his feelings of loneliness and depression. He
orphan” – after contacting the dancer’s meets and becomes infatuated with a young
love, the deformed soul of the orphan, who dancer in a traveling family of entertainers.
longed for love, was healed. At first, he feels a vague erotic attraction to her. But
 The recovered confidence – the evaluation when he sees her in the nude in a public bath, he
of “a good man” enabled him to recover realizes that she is still a child, still pure and
and rebuild his confidence. innocent. This changes his feelings for her to a
 Gratitude of love – He showed a great care loving brother-like protector. He is accepted by and
over and was grateful to pure and becomes close to the family.
ingenuous love between the dancer and
himself. Although they are, as travelling entertainers,
considered to be social outcasts, they, in their few
days together, are able to help him to accept
ELEMENTS / CHARACTERISTICS himself and to respond to others in a warm, open
way. At the end, the narrator and the little dancer
Characters
part with the promise that they will meet again.
 The student – 19/20 year old unnamed
Yet, we understand, as the narrator seems to
protagonist/student from Tokyo which
realize, that this will never happen; this sweet
conveys a sense of youth, curiosity, and
tender moment in life has passed, and the love
exploration.
they feel is impossible.
 Kaoru – the little dancer. Name means
“fragrant,” which is symbolic to her
relationship with the student because a
good fragrancy is very attractive. Sister of STYLE & TECHNIQUE
Eikichi.
 Written in first person POV.
 Eikichi – name means “extremely
 Concise and exquisite style of writing.
fortunate”. 24/25 year old man.
 Realist - the realistic relationships between
 Chiyoko – name means “a child of forever”.
characters and the student’s journey is
Wife of Eikichi.
through an actual area. At no point during
 Yuriko – the maid.
the story does a surreal action happen.
 Romanticism – uses nature as a symbol for
human emotions and experience.
Settings
 Kawabata’s writings are characterized by
 Izu Islands, Japan during pre-war in 1920’s nostalgia, eroticism, and melancholy.
 Duration of the short story: 40 days / 1  He presents elements with a poetic style,
month and a half to 2 months. sometimes described as a series of linked
haiku, this making his work “most resistant
to translation.”
  Symbolism – to convey deeper meanings. SOCIO-CULTURAL BACKGROUND
o The boy’s journey – symbolizes his
journey to self-awareness and self-  The traditional Japanese practice of public
understanding. Temporary but bathing.
meaningful journey which has a big  Gender roles of traditional culture in Japan.
impact to his passage from youth to  Pre-war social class distinctions between a
adulthood. gentleman student from prestigious Tokyo
o The dancing girl – symbolizes youth, college and the social lower class of
beauty, and purity. traveling entertainers.
o The Izu island – symbolizes a place  It depicts the tragic experience of dancers
of natura; beauty and serenity. in the lower classes of Japanese society,
o The rain shower – it touches the expressing their pursuit of life, love, and art.
cedar forests and makes them
appear white, which underscores
the idea that even the most NOTES
beautiful moments are temporary. - The narrator’s observation of the little dancer
bathing in nude. This moment frees him from any
erotic feeling he had for the dancer. He now sees
THEMES her as a child, still innocent and pure. She becomes
a symbol of pure beauty, still unsullied by life. The
 Young man’s journey to self-awareness,
experience is an epiphany, a moment of self-
self-understanding, & self-discovery.
revelation.
 Loneliness and first love/intimacy.
 Barriers between social classes in pre-war - Kawabata uses the image of clear, pure water
Japan. purging the mind with tears. “Soon nothing would
remain.” This last line in the short story anticipates
Kawabata’s later writings and themes including
UNIVERSAL RELEVANCE Buddhistic idea of a positive emptiness.
The journey of self-discovery – the boy’s journey - The positive emptiness in the story also
through Izu Island represents universal quest for symbolizes impermanence.
self-discovery and universal growth. Many people
embark on journeys, both literal and
metaphorical, to explore their own identities and
desires.
Impermanence – the fleeting nature of moments of
happiness and beauty. This theme resonates
universally because everyone has experienced the
impermanence of joy and the passage of time.
Desire and attraction – the boy’s infatuation with
the dancing girl reflects the universal experience of
desire and attraction. These emotions are
fundamental to human nature.