Some Prefer Nettles: Analysis of Major Characters
"Some Prefer Nettles" is a novel that explores the complexities of marriage and cultural identity through its major characters. The central figure, Kaname, is a middle-aged man grappling with his stagnant marriage to Misako, who embodies modern Western values. Their relationship is strained by Kaname's waning sexual interest and Misako's pursuit of Western fads, leading them to coexist more as estranged partners than as a couple. Misako, feeling unfulfilled and conflicted, seeks solace in an affair, while their ten-year-old son, Hiroshi, experiences anxiety over their marital discord, unaware of the full extent of their issues.
Supporting characters include Misako’s father, who represents traditional Japanese values through his old-fashioned lifestyle and relationship with his young mistress, O-hisa, who contrasts sharply with Misako. O-hisa's traditional demeanor resonates with Kaname's increasing attraction to Japanese culture and ideals. Additionally, Hideo Takanatsu serves as a catalyst for change, directly addressing the family's avoidance of the divorce topic, while Louise, a Eurasian prostitute and Kaname's lover, highlights his conflicting desires between Western influence and traditional Japanese aesthetics. Ultimately, the novel delves into the struggle between tradition and modernity, as well as personal identity within the confines of marriage.
Some Prefer Nettles: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Jun'ichir Tanizaki
First published: Tade kuu mushi, 1928–1929, serial; 1936, book (English translation, 1955)
Genre: Novel
Locale: Osaka, Awaji, Kobe, and Kyoto, Japan
Plot: Psychological realism
Time: March through June, 1929
Kaname, a sinecurist in his father's company, a quiet, unassuming man in his mid-forties. He and his wife, Misako, agree that their marriage has ended in all but name (they still live together), but neither has the necessary decisiveness to obtain a divorce. Although the basic reason for the marriage's failure is Kaname's lack of sexual interest in his wife, he is equally put off by her modern ways and extreme interest in the latest fads of Western culture. Kaname, though somewhat Westernized himself, becomes increasingly interested in traditional Japanese culture, as evidenced by his growing enthusiasm for the Osaka puppet theater and in the model provided for him by the apparently satisfying relationship his father-in-law has with a young but old-fashioned mistress. The concluding implication is that he will turn away from his wife and become more interested in “doll-like” women, but it is uncertain if he can overcome his indecisiveness.
Misako, Kaname's wife. Estranged from her husband but still living with him, Misako is a woman who has turned her back on traditional culture and ideals and tries to make herself a modern, Westernized woman. She shares her husband's indecisiveness about her marriage, partly for the sake of their ten-year-old son, and for solace has been having an affair for the past two years. It is her interest in shallow and insubstantial Western objects and fads, as much as her sexual unattractiveness, that propels Kaname toward his increasing interest in traditional Japanese culture and women. Kaname becomes aware that Misako's lover is not permanently committed to her, which increases his anxiety about divorcing her and setting her adrift.
Hiroshi, the ten-year-old son of Kaname and Misako. Hiroshi is a sensitive boy who has been living in a constant state of anxiety because his parents have concealed their marital problems from him, forcing him to guess their intentions. He thinks, for example, that his parents may be intending to abandon him and lives in a constant state of torment until he is finally informed by a relative that his parents are getting a divorce (supposedly) and that he will not be abandoned by them. This news apparently serves to calm his fears.
Misako's father, a man in his early sixties. He is a conservative, old-fashioned man interested in all aspects of traditional Japanese culture, especially the Osaka puppet theater. He has a mistress in her mid-twenties, a traditional-looking and-acting woman who resembles one of the theater puppets. Kaname grows to admire the older man and his style of living, especially his interest in traditional Japanese arts and his successful relationship with his doll-like mistress.
O-hisa, the mistress of Misako's father, a woman in her mid-twenties. She is the opposite of Misako, the modern woman. O-hisa not only is young and pretty but also is old-fashioned and docile, quite content to wait hand and foot on Misako's father. She serves as the model for the type of woman to whom Kaname may be beginning to turn; in fact, she serves as a living counterpart to the Osaka puppets to which Kaname increasingly finds himself attracted.
Hideo Takanatsu, a divorced businessman who is a cousin of Kaname. While on a visit to Kaname and his wife, he tries to talk them into going ahead with the divorce and is astonished to discover that they have procrastinated and never gotten around to saying anything to their son. He takes it upon himself to inform their son, who is relieved to get some hard facts.
Louise, a Eurasian prostitute who is Kaname's sometime lover. She is a sex object for Kaname and also satisfies his woman-worshiping tendencies and flirtation with Western erotica. He loses interest in her as he becomes more interested in Japanese culture.