January 22^nd

      Noboru came home a little later than usual today, with his hair drenched in sweat and his clothes damp from playing in the water fountain. We ate dinner without Ryuji for the first time in weeks, and at half past eight, Noboru went upstairs to his room. I cleaned up and sat in the main room, reading newspapers to pass the time. There was nothing of interest in the news to me but I used it as a distraction as I waited for Ryuji to return. It is 11:25 at the moment, and Ryuji still hasn’t come home. It’s been bothering me for quite a while, my fear of losing Ryuji. I often have dreams where he returns to the Rakuyo for “a little trip”, and I end up being left behind with Noboru. I’ve told him about my dreams, and he promised that if he ever travelled anywhere, that he would go as a family. Poor Noboru was asking me earlier where he had gone, and was sad to know that he wasn't joining us for dinner. My fears are now returning as I wait up for Ryuji’s return. I hope he comes soon. 

                                  -Fusako Kuroda          

Ryuji and Clara's Detachment from the World 

Having studied numerous novels in depth this year, it is hard to miss out on similarities between certain characters of importance. Ryuji from Yukio Mishima’s “The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea” and Clara from Isabel Allende’s “The House of the Spirits” both possess unique methods of detaching themselves from the world at large and its trivial problems. Ryuji’s love for the sea and Clara’s attachment to the supernatural are prime factors that lead to their seclusion. As Ryuji sails out on the sea for weeks on end, he enjoys his independence as he contemplates what true happiness means to him. Believing that there is some sort fated glory for him, he convinces himself that there is “a special destiny in store” for him “that no ordinary man would be permitted” (Mishima 17). For Clara, solitarily consulting spirits with her three-legged table allows her to embrace her passion for the supernatural and for her to be truly content. Often when Esteban sleeps beside her, he is aware that she is “in some unknown, other dimension where he could never reach her” (Allende 130). I find it interesting that although Ryuji and Clara isolate themselves from people and society for two different reasons, they both achieve inner peace in the process.