Responsible Citizens of the Floating World

In a world filled with controversy, conflict, and unreason how do we as individuals become responsible citizens of the “floating world”? Every person is impacted differently by their surroundings based on geographical location, culture, religious upbringing, and economic class, all affecting a persons approach in their quest to become a responsible citizen. In order to become a responsible citizen of the floating world, a person must analyze what their role is in order to make the world a more harmonious place. Throughout our life our role on the earth will change ideally from son or daughter, to student, to a responsible successful adult. We must educate those around us the best we can to make the world a more peaceful place. One’s journey to become a responsible citizen is clearly represented through the novels read in Robert Burton’s multicultural literature class. Characters such as Ono from Kazuo Ishiguro’s An Artist of the Floating World, Jasmine from Bharati Mukherjee’s Jasmine, and Elizabeth from Bessie Head’s A Question of Power can clearly represent an individuals’ journey to become a responsible citizen of the “floating world”.

            In Kazuo Ishiguro’s An Artist of the Floating World the story of Masuji Ono, tells of an artist who became a prominent figure during Japan’s fight in WWII. Masuji Ono specialized in the art of nationalistic propaganda that promoted Japan’s quest for victory, and morale on the home-front. This art-form granted Ono a prestigious seat in the Japanese community, and was fiercely supported by the Japanese regime. After the war Ono becomes an outcast for his involvement with the ousted Japanese regime, “realize there are now those who would condemn the likes of you and me for the very things we were once proud to have achieved” (Ishiguro 94). Ono realizes his work as a young artist motivated his own countrymen to fight die for a failed cause that left his country in shambles. He is constantly singled out by those who remember his work, and most insulting by his son in law who holds a grudge against those who supported Japan’s aggression in WWII. He then renounces his work, and denounces his former master Moriyama because Ono knows in order to become a responsible citizen of the floating world he must forget his past, and look to the future for success and guidance. Ono realized that what he did in the past was right at the time and there is no reason to regret it. Ono stood up for what he believed in, and although he did things in his past that were wrong he had the courage to move on. A person who does not confront their past will live a life regretting that they never attempted to mend their sins.

            In Bharati Mukherjee’s Jasmine the main character Jasmine changes her role in the “floating world” by adjusting her identity to conveniently blend into her surroundings, “I have had a husband for each of the women I have been. Prakash for Jasmine, Taylor for Jase, Bud for Jane.  Half-Face for Kali” (Mukherjee 197). For each different man in Jasmine’s life she has taken on an identity to erase her past prior to her new relationship. This allows Jasmine to have a clean slate for every chapter in her life, giving her the ability to assimilate to her surroundings and effectively fill her role as a responsible citizen of the “floating world”. When events in Jasmine’s life are constantly and abruptly changing; such as the death of her husband Prakash, and the horrible rape she experiences, she erases these events by taking on a new name changing her identity. This allows her to be progress in her life rather than dwell on the past, and this is a key ingredient to being a responsible citizen of the “floating world”.

            In Bessie Head’s novel A Question of Power the main character Elizabeth is thrown into a tumultuous environment even at the moment of her birth, “...when you were six years old we heard that your mother had suddenly killed herself in the mental home” (Head 17). Elizabeth grows up without any family, leaving her without an identity or genuine culture. Elizabeth did what anyone else would do in order to find substance in her existence, “frames are mental structures that shape the way we see the world. As a result, they shape the goals we seek, the plans we make, the way we act.” (Burton 60). Because Elizabeth has issues with identity she struggles to fit into Botswana's society, "...as far as Batswana society was concerned, she was an out-and-out outsider and would never be in on their things” (Head 26). Elizabeth believes that if she can find some sort of culture or identity that this will lead her to the "promised land" leaving behind the oppression she has experienced throughout her life so she can finally be "accepted" or at least understood. Elizabeth finally begins to find her place in the “floating world” when she moves to a small village in Botswana known as Motabeng, where she becomes a teacher. At first she is unaccepted for being an “outsider” but her help and assistance in the village does not go unnoticed an she is able to find her place as a responsible citizen of the floating world. Elizabeth’s greatest accomplishment was her input on the growing of gooseberry’s which do not grow natively in the climate of Botswana.  At first the gooseberry was unable to grow, but her amateur knowledge in Botany enabled her to find a way to grow the gooseberry in Botswana’s arid climate. This is the first case in which Elizabeth is accepted by the people of Motabeng, making her feel like less of an outsider. Looking deeper into the symbolism of the gooseberry, it essentially symbolizes Elizabeth’s soul.  Like the gooseberry Elizabeth’s soul must endure adversity before it can mature into something sweet and healthy. When Elizabeth reaches this point she is then able to find her place as a responsible citizen in the “floating world”.

            Like the characters from the novels read in class, we can observe their journey through the floating world and mirror their ability to become responsible citizens of the “floating world”. All of these characters were faced with adversity, more than most of us are likely to face in our lives. If we could only sample what Ono, Jasmine, and Elizabeth faced in their lives we would better understand what it means to become a responsible citizen of the “floating world”. We must take the experiences we have, and share knowledge amongst each other to improve globalization and become more responsible citizens of the “floating world”.