The CHIEF October 2021

Literature Review

By Paige Olson

Literature Review: Setting Sun by Osamu Dazai

Following the events of World War II, Japan found itself in a desperate attempt to shield the sins of its past, its people becoming "victims of a transitional period of morality." In witnessing this descent of the Rising Sun first hand, Osamu Dazai wrote The Setting Sun . This novel follows Kazuko, a child of an aristocratic family turned country laborer, and her mother. Dazai does a brilliant job of depicting how hopeful Kazuko was in changing her family's view on their new life, though she knew they lacked the spiritual strength to fight through Japan's postwar economic crisis. The never ending stream of consciousness given to Kazuko allows the reader to clearly recognize the many painful experiences she and her family had to go through and reflect on. Dazai's diary-like storytelling establishes a sense of trust between Kazuko and the reader, forcing them to apply the story to their own lives. While reading through this novel, I often questioned my own honesty in accepting changes, and if lying to myself makes them any easier. All of Dazai's novels have become a staple of my home library, The Setting Sun being no different. It's ability to present the intricacies and contradictions of the human psyche make it a must read for anyone wanting to reflect on their own lives, and, like Kazuko, wanting to be the beginning of a moral revolution.