Point of View

Yokio Mishima's point of view toward his characters and their story is that of detached narrator, even to the point of writing at times like a sociologist would dissect a broad cultural phenomenon. In this case, the object of scrutiny is the decay of the upper class in Japan and the rise of the so-called "lower" orders of humanity. The aristocratic segment, represented primarily by the star-crossed lovers Kiyoaki Matsugae and Satoko Ayakura, is the setting for most of the plot while the secondary characters, such as the tutor Iinumi and the servant woman Tadeshina, represent the underclass that seeks to rise and to have its own voice. The author's overriding point of view toward his characters is an objective type of compassion.

The author's detachment is necessary to him to relate a story of historical importance so that it is more than just a love...