The Flowers of Buffoonery

Osamu Dazai, Sam Bett (Translator)

Published: January 1, 1935

Genres: Japanese Literature, Novella, Mental Health

Pages: 96

After reading No Longer Human, I couldn’t help but to read The Flowers of Buffoonery. Although I was surprised of the book’s page length, the shortening pages didn’t affect my enjoyment. If anything, I was unbothered by it and enjoyed this book much more than the first.

Unlike No Longer Human, there’s more obvious connections between the author and protagonist. The line between fiction and nonfiction also loosened, making myself question what inspired Dazai to write this story. Previously, due to the other book’s first person perspective, it was less like the decease protagonist’s past journals and more like it was happening at the moment of the time. There would be moments where Yozo writes in first person, acting the role of an author, which could be representing Dazai instead. In a sense, Yozo was no more than a despairing puppet, whose sole purpose is to represent the author’s pitiful thoughts. During these moments where Yozo would write in first person, he would assume the reactions of the readers. But as he did this, it is possible that Yozo was instead portraying himself as the reader who judged himself. Even in moments of delight, Yozo masked himself as the reader of the story, shaming his life like an undervalued play.

His first person perspective resembled the self-aware shame of his pitiful nature as he commented on himself, which only provides an organic and real experience. Truly, I believe Dazai poured his heart and thoughts into Yozo as he wrote the character. As if he couldn’t escape his clownish behaviour, Yozo used humour to hide the sadness within him by mocking himself. It comes to a point where The Flowers of Buffoonery no longer feels like the story was the life of Yozo, but rather a storyline manufactured by him as an attempt to cope with his pain, which could explain the glimpse of hope within the story.

Even during the most vulnerable and lone times in the sanitarium, where the people in his life seem concerned about his physical and mental health, Yozo was nothing but a shadow. Or it was possible that no one truly care, only caring about his recovery so he could quickly continue his normal life. Their laughs and discussions were only avoiding the reality that would eventually return to Yozo once he left the sanitarium. He was the wallpaper of his own story, unable to escape the background that he was emerged in. Sometimes I wonder if Yozo clung onto philosophy to prove his worth of anything. Since he sees himself as near worthless, he needs his mind to be of use, meaning to use it for pessimistic philosophical purposes. When everything is crumbling apart, it is normal to hold tightly onto the one thing that you deem as valuable. And when you suffered so greatly in life, that is when you try to write purpose into that, declaring those times were times of pessimistic discovery.

Differently from No Longer Human, there was a theme of hope throughout the story. Yet this hope was only an illusion for Yozo as I already know what is to come. During his time in the place, it could be the most human that he’s ever felt. As I relate to Yozo, it only shows that I relate to his humanly self. Although it is ironic that during his time of being exclaimed of being a mad man, he called himself no longer human, yet it seemed he acted most human in these times. Perhaps at this time, Yozo allowed himself to feel hope because he tried to feel human. Since he could only try to feel human, that meant he was merely playing pretend as his clown-like self. It was only false hope, knowing what is to come. Which only made the story more pitiful as I knew that this heartwarming story about a man overcoming a tragic situation shifted into a despairing ending for Yozo. Even after everything, Yozo returned to his saddening state again. Maybe those friends only visited him for the sole purpose of comforting him in his despair times, only to forget about him when he became better. They seem to believe they knew him well, yet it was clear that Yozo merely returned back to his clowning ways. The moments of perceived comfort was only another one of his masks, still bound to the clowning cycle that created for himself.

The ending only resembles the emptiness to come. Many times we have led to believe there’s something for us, only for our hopeless fantasies to suddenly come to an end. Yet these fantasies disappear so quickly that people often accept the disappearance of their fantasy, knowing nothing could have happened. But for the more pitiful people, they don’t even question the possibilities of what could’ve happened since, alike Yozo, they knew the outcome and the truth behind it all. Everything remained the same, from beginning to end. Unlike other the stories, the book is merely drifting meaninglessly like Yozo’s life, left with questions and unfulfilled feelings.

Despite my positive experience with the book, I could only wish it was included in the original book. I would’ve rated no longer human higher, although it would destroy the centre theme of hopelessness. I would say The Flowers of Buffoonery is a great addition to the story, although I wouldn’t fully recommend it as a stand alone book.