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.