The World's Literature in Europe discussion
This topic is about
The Woman in the Dunes
秋 (autumn): Woman in the Dunes
>
Part II (ch 11-27)
date
newest »
newest »
message 1:
by
Betty
(new)
-
rated it 5 stars
Oct 13, 2012 01:39PM
The protagonist tries other ways to escape the sand pit, thinks about his past, finds some contentment in the daily routine, and discovers his liking the woman with him there.
reply
|
flag
Niki Jumpei the protagonist plans numerous means of escape. Every one of them fails when it is put to the test of reality. He is resisting his "illegal detention", first appealing to a concept of idealistic rights then suggesting alternative economies for the poor village. At some point, he might stop worrying about his predicament, taking an interest in his existence and activities, which "make full use of the abilities" he has--scientific, experimental. His interests are sand insects and sand. He wants to discover new species. Will he do so by the end of the novel? His misfortune leads him to learn more about the properties of sand. His social and individualistic tendencies are unbalanced at the present time; whereas the woman says, "we're working for the village". Doing so maintains the intact beehive of pits, and produces salty sand to be sold.
By contrast, the woman with him in the deep sand pit flows and blends with nature's rhythms. He contrasts her with his urban girlfriend and describes his relations with his former colleagues. An emotional, physical connection develops with the woman.
Description, imagery, food for thought, scientific observations are interesting. His perspective is like the continually rippling undulating flowing sand, not at all static. He must confront the reality of his predicament, of the villagers' outlook, and of the sand.
"One-way ticket to the blues" is interesting. He originally thinks that his ticket to the dunes is round-trip. Thinking so spurs him on to conceive more ingenious plans, of which one appears as if it will definitely succeed without a hitch in getting him out of the pit and village, through the dunes, and onto the main road. Out of the pit he glimpses the topography of the area, realizing that "Beautiful scenery need not be sympathetic to man." He and the woman plan to save up for a better radio and a mirror to enhance his awareness of weather and to please the woman who earns extra money besides shoveling sand from her handicraft with beads.
I felt even more drawn into a nightmarish cocoon in the second part of the book. Abe gets much more psychological and weaves sexual and violent strands into the narrative. Somehow the story gets less compelling from my perspective and I now turn the pages to simply find out how Abe will treat the characters. The first part held more power in my eyes. There is a higher degree of transformation in this part as the sand is merging with the character physically and psychologically reminding me of a version of Kafka's metamorphosis. Is this a mission to transform the main character into a sand-burying insect trawling through the sand and reproducing with the life cycle of a beetle? Humanity seems to be leaving the character and alien sand dwelling entities seem to emerge. From that perspective I find it quite creative, but I still have my doubts about Abe (I keep thinking that I could be reading something else which is never a good sign). Hmm, what do you think the sand represents in this novel or the situation overall? What is the entrapment al about?
Asma wrote: "Description, imagery, food for thought, scientific observations are interesting. His perspective is like the continually rippling undulating flowing sand, not at all static. He must confront the reality of his predicament, of the villagers' outlook, and of the sand. "I sense the opposite - that there is less and less reality present in his situation. He seems to be turning towards internal battles within his soul rather than the unreal sand world surrounding him? What do you think?
I actually think Niki will find humanity in this hostile environment. He doesn't appear to have decent human connections with his urban girlfriend or colleagues; yet he initially finds relinquishing the "round-trip ticket" unthinkable. The book is about his coming to feel connected to the village, about his discovering the natural beauty and properties of the landscape, and about his being engrossed in truly productive scientific pursuits. The question about "entrapment" is good. Initially, he is physically and mentally entrapped by his subjectivity and egotism--wonderfully thought-out reasons and schemes out-of-touch with the villagers' and topography's reality. 'Mind and matter' are out-of-balance; his efforts bring about surprising disappointments and successes which lead to the empowered, bittersweet finish.
Asma wrote: "The book is about his coming to feel connected to the village, about his discovering the natural beauty and properties of the landscape, and about his being engrossed in truly productive scientific pursuits. "But this aspect does not really materialize until (I presume since I am just going to start it) the third part of the book? The second part seems like a descent into a sand inferno while simultaneously losing his "normal" humanity as the world of sand changes him. I do not sense any appreciation of natural beauty and landscape in the second part as Niki is seemingly descending into madness and terror in his entrapment and pursuit.
Part Two is chaotic. Abé's descriptions of the effects of sand in contact with humans and things and of the behavior of truly thirsty people are graphic. Niki's schemes for escaping the sand hole, one after another go on like he is not going to give up even when his efforts reach a nadir and his apparent acceptance of life would seem plausible. The woman--her emotions and characterization--gains in importance as the story progresses in Part Two or Three. Abé humanizes her a lot with likes, desires, ambition, responses. She exerts a positive, humanizing influence on Niki.
Asma wrote: "The book is about his coming to feel connected to the village, about his discovering the natural beauty and properties of the landscape, and about his being engrossed in truly productive scientific pursuits. "Hmm, I finished the third part and can agree on building a connectivity to the village as well as becoming more scientific in his endeavors (after all he has nothing else to do). However, he does seem very empirical and I do not at all see how he is discovering natural beauty in the landscape beyond the scientific observations he is making. I feel like he is imprisoned in every way imaginable. I also do not think that the woman humanizes Niki (considering the last scene with the villages in the third part). I am left with an odd feeling about Niki.
At first, his vision of his surroundings is limited to the ground and its insects, but as the story unfolds, his seeing the wider landscape occurs. One of his escapes actually uses the time of mist to cover his movements. Later he sees the uniqueness of the landscape's unfolding dunes in itself though it's unsympathetic to human life. At the end, his scientific discovery does find a helpful purpose through the sand's properties. About the connection with the woman, I'm referring to Niki's awareness of her opinions--her thoughts--about his secret escape and its aftermath. He also recognizes his dishonesty.
Asma wrote: "At first, his vision of his surroundings is limited to the ground and its insects, but as the story unfolds, his seeing the wider landscape occurs. One of his escapes actually uses the time of mis..."His observations seems purely empirical. It is almost as just is interested in elucidating his surroundings to gain the means to escape rather than appreciating/seeing the nature/beauty of the world. It seems to me that he is seeing more of his raw animalistic inner self in his pit experiences while aggressively trying to use everybody and anything to gain the escape.
With the woman Niki seems to be using her - for sex, by being caught up with pure desire (animalistic) for a woman he barely knows, by using her to gain parts/radio etc to gain an escape. He seems to be settling for her presence and the way of life (what choice does he have at first?). It is interesting how one can build different perspectives around the role of the woman and the surrounding nature, isn't it? :)
I am not seeing his existence in the dwelling to be a Shangri-La; but his urban associations and life can be improved. The unnamed woman of the remote village gradually wears away his alienation, imo. Just a thought!
Seems like at the beginning science is theoretical book learning for Junpei--catch, classify, display. Science insures otherness. the woman has lots of practical knowledge about sand but Junpei maintains the superiority of his knowledge, continues his activity based on his erroneous understanding of sand--science is the basis for dialog and the building of community. Based on Junpei's growing understanding of sand and the serendipitous results of his failed effort to trap crows, Junpei has a means of collecting water which would benefit the whole community. Science offers a bridge to greater community, an experience which Junpei did not enjoy in life before the dunes.
Susan wrote: "...Science offers a bridge to greater community, an experience which Junpei did not enjoy in life before the dunes."I'm wondering whether Junpei's superficial, urban associations at the beginning of the novel, those with colleagues and wife/girlfriend, echo his personal distance from nature. Whereas, rustic village life is cooperative. Junpei comes to understand that, trusting enough to share his contribution of the new water source. He's neither an interchangeable cog in the machinery nor are his interests eccentric as they might seem in the city.
Susan, both this book and Goulds Book of Fish seem to want to leave classifying or to escape from the humanly devised systems of the definer defining the defined as Goulds character says and adds next to control god.
Asma Fedosia wrote: "Junpei comes to understand that, trusting enough to share his contribution of the new water source. He's neither an interchangeable cog in the machinery nor are his interests eccentric as they might seem in the city...."I think the key is that Junpei's cooperation cannot be coerced. He must freely choose to join the community, a choice which is only offered freely when the ladder is left down. It is not clear that he will share the water collection invention and choose the community, but I think his experience in the pit has brought him to the threshold of making that choice.
Suzann wrote: "...He must freely choose to join the community, a choice which is only offered freely when the ladder is left down..."My guess is that the remote community changed their opinion about Jumpei for the better as a result of his perseverance for freedom. I'm wondering if Jumpei's initial solitariness is unrepresentative of Japanese culture. In ...Dunes, Jumpei is psychologically an outsider at the office and in the rural village as well as cool toward his urban female companion. Has Jumpei changed by novel's end? is a good question.
Have the villagers changed towards Jumpei? How likely is it that they'd immediately trust someone coming into their village? How do they treat Jumpei the newcomer?...a bit deceptively about the shoveling and a bit jokingly about the presence of the woman.
At the same time, the villagers have made an inroad to tame nature by adapting with the rigorous duty of shoveling against the windswept sand. By a switch, Jumpei becomes the one who discovers how to benefit from the sand rather than by confronting nature.
Jumpei and the villagers can learn from each other.
