This article introduces Kazuo Ishiguro's novel "The Floating World Painter", which showcases Ono's inner world and memories of the past during the post-war social upheaval in Japan through the four diaries of the protagonist, Shoji Ono. Ono once drew propaganda posters for Japanese militarism, but after the war, he attempted to evade war responsibility. Kazuo Ishiguro reveals Ono's self deception and denial of the past through unreliable narrative techniques. The creation of the novel was inspired by Proust's "Remembrance of the Lost Years", capturing the inner activities of the characters and revealing multiple levels of self deception. Readers need to uncover the truth behind the narrator's words and understand the ironic features and significance of the novel. This article also discusses the interweaving of story time and narrative time in novels, emphasizing the importance of restoring objective historical time for understanding novels and reflecting on their contemporary significance.

Hidden Stories in Memories Time: Before Japan's Defeat

The time narrative structure of the novel "The Floating World Painter" is complex, with Ono's diary set after World War II and his memories dating back to the early 20th century. The story is divided into four stages, and this chapter focuses on the three stages before Japan's defeat. In the first stage from the early 20th century to 1915, Ono worked at the Takeda Company, collaborating with painter Yasunari Nakahara (Turtle), but left due to differences in ideas. In the second stage from 1915 to 1922, Ono lived at the Wakabayasu Villa and gradually leaned towards the Okada Takeda Association, breaking away from Mori kun. In the third stage from 1922 to August 1945, Ono became a militaristic painter, collaborating with Matsuda to cater to the cultural policies of the authorities and serving the Japanese State Council. His woodcut painting 'Looking at the Horizon' advocates for aggressive war and is widely known. Ono's eldest daughter, Jiezi, got married and his second daughter, Fairy, was born. However, there is a temporal contradiction between the ages of the two daughters and Ono's experiences in the novel. After Japan's defeat, Ono's career as a painter came to an end.

Diary Time of Attempting to 'Forget' and 'Transcend': After Japan's Defeat

A detailed analysis of the fourth stage of the diary time in "The Floating World Painter", namely the struggle of Ono in the post-war Japanese social upheaval from Japan's defeat to June 1950. After the US occupied Japan and implemented a policy of demilitarization, Ono encountered Kuroda in the ruins. His son's ashes were transported back from Manchuria, and his eldest son-in-law Ikeda expressed indignation at Ono's "heroic sacrifice". Ono realized the change in national sentiment, and during his encounter with Jiro Miyake, Miyake mentioned that the CEO had committed suicide to apologize. Ono defended himself as a loyal non war criminal, while Miyake and Ikeda held opposite attitudes. Ono's daughter Fairy discussed marriage with Dr. Sato's eldest son, and Jiezi reminded Ono to find acquaintances such as Kuroda. Ono and Gentaro lamented the ruins of war at the Lady Kawakami Tavern, while Tomohiro Matsuda recalled their unhappy breakup last time. Ono asked Matsuda for help with the fairy's marriage. Ono searched for Kuroda and was accused by his disciple Enchi of being a traitor. During the fairy's blind date, Dr. Sato talked about the democratic march, and Ono admitted his past mistakes but defended himself for the benefit of his fellow countrymen. Shintaro requested Ono to write a letter for the teaching position, but Ono refused. Buildings have been built near Ono's house, and a road and office building have been constructed outside the Lady Kawakami Tavern. Ono sighed that the carefree and bustling atmosphere is no longer there. Jiezi denies suggesting last year that Ono took preventive measures against the fairy's marriage and mentions composer Yukio Noguchi's suicide. Ono and his family had dinner together, and the young people talked about the high morale of the company and the effectiveness of post-war improvements. Ono questioned the elimination of the old management model after the war, while Dairo stated that Japan has made progress in democracy and individual rights. In June 1950, Ono recorded the news of Matsuda's death. Matsuda looked back on his life and Ono tried to seek comfort from it. At the end of the novel, Ono is delighted that the country has the opportunity to regroup and sends blessings to the young people. Ono was repeatedly denied during the turning point of his life, using self deception to cover up his survival difficulties and attempting to justify his actions through Matsuda and Sugimura Akira. However, he was defined as a mediocre person and ultimately chose to forget along with young people. After the war, Japan lost its subjectivity under the protection of the American occupying forces.

Time contradiction inside and outside the text

This paper explores the temporal contradictions in Kazuo Ishiguro's work "The Floating World Painter", revealing how these contradictions reflect the spiritual confusion of the protagonist Ono, and analyzes them from the perspective of the author's writing practice. Firstly, the chapter points out three temporal contradictions in the novel: firstly, the "Godzilla" movie mentioned by Ono in his diary in 1948 was actually released in 1954, which is believed to reflect Ono's mental confusion; Secondly, there is a contradiction in the novel regarding the date of Ono's second daughter's blind date, which is inconsistent in different language versions. The Japanese version was revised by translator Shigeru Feida after consultation with the author; Thirdly, there is a temporal conflict between the age of Ono's two daughters and his experiences. These contradictions not only reveal Ono's characteristics as an unreliable narrator, but also reflect Ishiguro Kazuo's compression and handling of nearly half a century of Japanese history in his novels. The chapter also discusses the time background of the novel, from October 1948 to June 1950, during which Japan was experiencing post-war revival and political changes. Ono's image symbolizes post-war Japan, and his cover up of the past, anxiety about the present, and fantasies about the future form the ironic structure of the novel. Finally, the chapter cites the dialogue between Kazuo Ishiguro and Kenzaburo Oei, as well as Qin Bangsheng's analysis of the novel's ending, emphasizing the novel's reflection on war responsibility and the construction of Japan's image, as well as Ishiguro's responsibility as the public narrator of the story.