A Citizen of the Floating World

        Through my journey in understanding what it means to be a citizen of the floating world, I have found that I must be a responsible citizen and better understand the world around me in order to survive and prosper in this world of despair that surrounds us.  We are constantly influenced by diverse cultures and our brains are filled with propaganda that the media throws at us.  Racism and stereotypes are often a prejudgment because of an inheritance that was passed down through another.  This is the floating world we live in. A world that Rob Burton describes in his book as “A condition of living in a world that doubles back and forth between different states of mind and being” (Burton 124).  After taking a multicultural literature class at Chico State University, I gained a better understanding of the world we live in and found that I must take action to become a responsible citizen of the floating world.  I went to many cultural events where I learned about the Pakistan, the Filipinos, and the Peace Core. With understanding I can make a difference.  I also read many books that gave perspective of the floating world that we further discussed and analyzed in class.  I have chosen to focus on the novels “An Artist of the Floating World” and “A Question of Power”.

In the novel, “An Artist of the Floating World” by Kazuo Ishiguro the main character Masuji Ono is floating between two worlds. Ono is a citizen from Japan whose life is drastically changed after WWII.  Before the war, he was a well respected man. He was an artist, and when the war began he was forced to work for the government creating propaganda. At the time, he thought he was doing the right thing.  He thought that he was helping his fellow countrymen, but they knew that the propaganda was just a tactic to get them to conform.  His reputation began to decline, and Ono refused to admit that he was wrong.  His character began to change and his heart began to harden as he was caught between these two worlds.  Rob Burton brings understanding in his book when he says “it is only when we learn how to stand outside ourselves, literally seeing ourselves as a character in a novel, that we come to realize the extent to which our choices are compromised both by values consciously or unconsciously adopted by ourselves and by the communities to which we belong” (Burton 131).  In understanding the floating world, it is imperative that we acknowledge those threats that try to influence our values both consciously and unconsciously.

            I have found that the best way to maintain the values that I hold is to be aware of voices of influence all around me.  Another book we read in class that helps me understand how to do this is titled “A Question of Power” by Bessy Head.  The main character, Elizabeth, suffers from a “frameless” life.  She was born in a mental hospital from a white mother and a black father.  She was an outcast and on her own from birth.  She was constantly rejected by the world around her and found nowhere to belong.  She didn’t know who she was, and was susceptible to whatever the world throws at her.  Rob Burton says in his book, “a citizen of the floating world is to make ethical choices when framing our understanding of the world, to be aware that while a frame can afford an important structuring device for understanding the world, it can also prove to be severely limiting and restrictive” (Burton, 131).  A strong structure, or frame, can be a shield from the world around us and help keep our identity intact.

            After looking at Head’s novel, and Burton’s textural analysis, I am left with the question of what does it look like to have a framed life, and to also learn from the floating world at the same time? I think that Elizabeth has only begun the journey of being a responsible citizen of the floating world.  Once she has a solid frame and understands who she is, she must then better understand the world around her.  To find out who we are and then to break down those stereotypes by gaining understanding is the ultimate goal.

            Both Masuji Ono and Elizabeth are characters that are caught in between two worlds.  Through their examples, we can better understand the influences that the world has on our lives and how we should respond to it.  By being a responsible citizen, we must not stop learning about who we are and the world around us.  Knowledge breaks down stereotypes and brings understanding of the strongholds that consumes our lives.