No Longer Human – Osamu Dazai

This particular book has been sitting in my ‘book wish list’ for a decade, or maybe even longer. Self-destruction of Yozo, the main character, who has pessimistic view of the world countinuously questions himself and the surroundings of him. The compelling character of Yozo hooks up the reader.

Below is a character analysis essay on the author’s presentation of Yozo, and answering on how does the writer make Yozo a compelling character?

Yozo is a character that prompts readers to think deeply about the purpose of life. Perhaps due to his unaffectionate parents and postwar sentiment , he has become  a pessimistic character who lives in huge fear of revealing himself to anyone, and thus he tries to fake his persona by putting on a mask. His pessimism leads to lack of desire in life, making him depressed and living inside his own world.

One most significant means of Yozo avoiding reality is to become a clown. His inability to comprehend certain human behaviours fuels a certain fear of humans, compelling him to reduce his interactions with others to only comedy, letting himself to be free from the disturbance that comes from dynamics of normal emotional exchange. From the quote “Everybody burst out laughing, exactly as I had planned,” it is evident that Yozo makes great effort to obsessively hide his true self, suggesting a certain level of intelligence in his strategy. Moreover, the reactions of his classmates stand in stark contrast with his inner emotions, shown in “I got to my feet with a rueful smile…”. The adjective “rueful” clearly displays his sorrow within his emotions and his opinion towards humanity. Yozo’s biggest fear of exposing his mask grows into desperately obscuring his intrusive thoughts, exacerbating his depression. 

Yozo’s self-concealment renders him as a compelling character. He is also a character who suffers from comprehending human behaviours like others do, which prompts readers to question their desire for their basic needs, even about their existence.