Many say the most enduring stories are often quite simple. A boy meets a girl, they like each other, the world conspires to drive them apart, they remain faithful to each other, in the end, they may be reunited or forever alone. Shinji and Hatsue are the protagonists that follow this typical story trail, but for most of the novel they are referred to as 'the boy' and 'the girl'. The boy is a poor fisherman whose father has been killed in the war, and now he has to work to support his family. The girl is a pearl diver who has been recalled home by her rich father after being sent for adoption a long time ago. They live on a small island in the picturesque Gulf of Ise, their daily lives following a pattern set since ancient times by the phases of the moon and the turning of the seasons. Few of them are aware or care about the modern times and the sophistication of the mainland Japan. Their lives are complete in their traditions and routines and their ambitions are narrow: a boat, a house, children to carry on honouring the ancestors and the family name.
Shinji’s first encounter with Hatsue was the extremely unexpected. Shinji had never seen such a beautiful girl in his life; when their eyes met , it was love at first sight. The boy and the girl fell in love quickly and hid their relationship from the entire village. They spent all their time together - and even confessed their feelings to one another - with fiery encounters - to share love with one another. Unfortunately, in every fairy tale-like story, there are always antagonists who seek to put an end to their relationship - Chiyoko, a girl who likes Shinji - and Yasuo, a boy who likes Hatsue. Jealous, Chiyoko starts spreading rumors about what the boy and the girl had done even before they got married. Yasuo picks on Shiji and tries to grasp Hatsue with violence. Getting tired of the nonsense, Shinji decides to confront Chiyoko while his mother encounters Hatsue’s father about the rumors in the village. As the novel progresses, these four character’s interactions with one another develops in a unique and sophisticated way, sometimes even relatable. Towards the end, Hatsue’s father challenges Shinji and Yasuo to a competition, whoever proves to be a better son-in-law will claim his daughter.
Yukio Mishima’s descriptive narrative depicts a warm love story using the most basic settings and characters. The innocent plot paired with straightforward narrative may be seem mundane and predictable. However such stories bring a smile to the readers’ face, as if meeting someone who may not be ‘trendy’ or ‘hype’ but still so nice and kind, would be the person you want to spend time with, regardless of what people think. As you turn towards the final pages of this novel you automatically wish the couple, Shinji and Hatsue good luck together. On a small island, with nothing but an ocean behind them and their morals supporting one another. This novel brings insightful and warming emotions into one’s heart and is definitely worth a read.
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