34
| Futon | Einsame Menschen
| |
| Tanaka Hideo Yoshiko's sweetheart a student |
Braun (Breo) former boyfriend of Anna Mahr and Johannes' friend an artist | |
| Mrs. Tagawa Mrs. Takenaka's sister |
Pastor Kollin trusted pastor, friend of Johannes' parents |
The principal characters of both Futon and Einsame Menschen are, in each case, the heads of households who are stimulated by the new theories of naturalistic philosophy and who attempt to bring their innermost feelings out into the open. Their wives are completely absorbed in bringing up their children and do not understand their husbands' work. This situation creates dissatisfaction for both the husbands and their wives. Under these circumstances, the heroines in both stories are able to satisfy with their modern ideas the emotional gaps existing between these husbands and their wives. Love by the main character for his wife was dispelled in each case by the appearance of a heroine. The main characters of Futon and Einsame Menschen are superficially very similar; however, images of these characters unrolled at the close of each story show that they are endowed by quite different personalities.
Tokio lectures Yoshiko on his views relating to an emancipated woman:
"It's time women should be aware. It's no good for a woman still to be so weak-minded as to depend too much on others. As Sudermann's Magda said if a woman is so lacking in courage as to allow herself to be transferred immediately from the hands of her father into the hands of her future husband, she is worthless. As one of Japan's newly awakened women you must think and act on your own initiative."[1]
- ↑ Katai, Futon, chap. iii, pp. 18–19.
