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Grandmother Marries Prince Arisugawa Taruhito
His early caretaker marries into aristocracy (Teisch) and that is why he could play with other kids and his outcasting inflenced The Temple of the Golden Pavilion and Confessions of a Mask. -
Birth
Born with the name Hiraoka Kimitake (Teisch) -
Taken away from Mother
At 7 months Mishima was taken away from his mother by his grandma.
Mishima lived with her until age 12 and thorugh the years his masculinty was deteriorating.
His grandmother prevented him from playing sports or going outside. (The European Graduate School)
This effects his works because he became more feminine and grew an intrest on effeminate intrests. -
World Economic Crisis
The Great Depression badly affected Japan. (Stearns)
Infuences his work because he writes about both rich and poor families. However his view is bias because during the crisis he was still wealthy due to his grandmother. -
Attends Peer School
Mishima studied works of poets and authors by this time. He also wrote stories for the school paper and was made fun of. (The European Graduate School)
Influences he writing becasue when he wrote his schoolmates would make fun of him and those feelings are put into his characters. -
Developed Pen Name
Mishima created a pen name to conceal his identity from his schoolmates and father to protect him from ridicule. (Teisch)
This influences his book Confessions of a Mask because Mishima had to cover up his true self; which is what Kochan had to do in Confessions of a Mask. -
Draft Notice Recived
Due to the false medical reading Mishima was excused from Military services. Although he still had to work in a military factory he was able to work on his literature.
(Encyclopedia Britannica) -
End Of WWII. Beginning of Japanese Westernization
General Douglus MacArthur occupied Japan and influenece them. (Stearns)
Post WWII events fuled Mishima's writing and caused him to have opposite views toward the western influence.
*Seen in Spring Snow -
Human Being Decloration
Emperor Hirohito passes the Human Being Decloration (Embracing Defeat: Japan in the Wake of the War), and at this time Mishima opposes Hirohito when the changes are made and Japan tries to modernize.
Influences his works becasue his opposition toward the emperor appears in his novels, however the character is opposing a superior rather than the emperor.
*Seen in Spring Snow, The Sound of Waves, and The Temple of the Golden Pavilion -
Confessions of a Mask
Confessions of a Mask broke boundries in Japan with its story of a homosexual man who must hide his true self behind a mask to fit in with society.
This lead to his works to be 'restricted' to most people in Japan. (The Economist US). -
Burning of the Golden Temple
The event inspired Mishima to write the novel "The Temple of the Golden Pavilion" factious apporach to the tourching of the temple. (Fadiman) -
Takes on bodybuilding
Takes on bodybuilding to build masculinity because people assumed that he was homosexual. (The European Graduate School)
He is already starting to get jugded just like how his father was fearing.
His feelings influence his characters' personalities. The characters' are usually very incecure. -
Joins Self Defence Force
Undergoes the force thats purpose is to defend the Emperor. However the Emperor renunciates their actions. (Teisch)
The rekindling of traditonal Japan is his themes in most of his novels. -
Forms Shield Soceity
Forms a private army of martial arts students to overthrow Hirohito owever protect the emperor the new emperor. (Teisch)
*About the rekindling of traditional Japan -
Rebillious Attack
Mishima starts a rebelious attack on Japan because of Westernization. However it fails. (Teisch)
*Also about his strivew to rekindle traditional Japan
(World Civilizations, Stearns) -
Commits ritual suicide
Mishima commits suiside after the failed Rebellious attack. (Teisch)
The event shows Mishima's devotion for the traditional culture of Japan and what has influenced his works; traditional Japan vs. the West