Ono's Choices

Choice… Can you ever make the right choice if you think your country is black or white.  Its must be good or bad, or could it be grey? Ono, the main character of Ishiguro’s novel “An Artist of the Floating World”, Human being define and redefine themselves via their choices, made in good faith with personal accountability. Does Ono take responsibility for his actions.

In the hopes to cover his past decisions “all I can say is that at the time I acted in good faith.  I believed in all sincerity I was achieving good for my fellow countrymen.  I am not afraid to admit I was mistaken” Ono said talking to Taro Saito who is interested in Ono’s daughter Noriko (124).  He truly believed that he was doing good for his country, and doing artistic posters was his way of showing his support.  He thought his choice was for the better. With all the denial he was finally able to recognize what poor choices and take some accountability.  

In a flash back of a past memory Ono realizes that an “artist must learn to value something more tangible than those pleasurable things that disappear in the morning light” explaining to Mori-san why he cannot be an artist of the floating world any more and he will not give him his paints back (180).  This is a turning point in Ono’s life, in finding himself. He made a choice to do something that could make a difference in his country. 

Japanse character for "choice"

Returning to the present, Ono has made some poor decisions in his life. “I merely suggested to the committee someone come round and give Mr. Kuroda a talking to for his own good.  I stared again at the smoldering pile in the middle of the yard” as the police officer justifies the search and arrest (183).  This bad occurrence happened due to Ono’s decision to have police watch Kuroda.  He is baffled that this happened because of a choice he made that caused so much pain.  Poor choices happen, what matters is what you learn and how you forgive. Ono never seems to come to these conclusions.

Talking with Matsuda they discussed their lives and how they should not feel bad for what they did.  For what they did was “minimal” compared to business leaders, politician and army officers.  In the end Ono seems to realize that in his life he made some good choices and some not so good choices. It comes across as if he did not learn from his mistakes, nor taking accountability for what he did, which makes the last couple of lines of the really clear of Ono’s narrow view “our nation whatever mistakes it may have made in the past has now another chance to make a better go of things. One can only wish these young people well” (206).