Fiction Part 2: The Grasshopper and the Bell Cricket
One of my favorite readings in the fiction unit was "The Grasshopper and the Bell Cricket" written by Yasunari Kawabata. I enjoyed the piece for its warming story telling that was enhanced by the description and imagery. I felt as if I was in the story with the characters and could imagine the colorful surroundings. The story highlights the beautiful elements of Japanese culture, such as the nature and the decorations. It also exemplifies the concept of fate is destiny, as seen when the story shows how the narrator's and the young girl's souls are meant to be together for some sort of reason. Many people of the traditional Japanese culture believe in fate as a plan that has already been planned out and are looking for the connection to the people they are destined to meet. In "The Grasshopper and the Bell Cricket" the fate of the narrator and the girl are seen through the small signs of their names shining on each other. I find the subject of fate and destiny as an interesting discussion topic.
Fate is defined as the development of events in a person's life beyond their control since it is controlled by a supernatural power. Destiny is defined as the events or situations that will happen to somebody in the future. Although I believe in components of these ideas, it can surprise me when I really think about the subjects. The questions that pop in my head is the fact that some things, such as accidents or other events, only happen to some people. For example, tragic massacres or a car crash that can happen hundreds of miles away or right in front of you. On the other hand, fate can mean something pleasant, such as meeting your significant other or finding a lost family member. Why do some bad or good things happen to us or others and not the other way around? It is a topic that can be difficult for people to wrap their heads around things that may be beyond our control.
A few major themes that are brought up in the story includes the ideas of love, individualism, and childhood innocence. Although the readers can tell these themes are present, Kawabata only really suggests or hints at them due to Japanese writing. The narrator's story presents a delightful and enlightening tone of what he is witnessing in his life. When the ideas of the grasshopper and the bell cricket are introduced, they symbolize love and beauty. From the narrator to the girl, she is one of a kind, represented by the special bell cricket. The theme of love is one of the strongest themes and presents love as a beautiful but also confusing thing. Love can take many different routes and be in different forms. The use of the insects is to display the complexities of love. The narrator needed to be warned that searching for a girl may result in some appearing to be bell crickets, but they are really grasshoppers.
Besides the theme of love, individualism is another big component. This can be seen when a bunch of children are making lanterns together but each of their creations are unique to their maker and vary in design or color. Individualism is also seen in the one of a kind bell crickets, whereas grasshoppers are mainly all the same. This can relate to the narrator wanting a relationship and a life that is special and stands out from the rest of the world. Tying into love and individualism, childhood innocence can be seen through the relationship of the narrator and the girl, but also the children who were making the lanterns. The children's innocence is seen with them being concerned over the little things when they have yet to comprehend the difficulties adults face later in life. The narrator's love for a girl he hopes to be like a special bell cricket shows a child's innocent thoughts that most readers once have experienced themselves.
Favorite Quotes and Word Choice
"Not only were there crimson, pink, indigo, green, purple, and yellow lanterns, but one lantern glowed with five colors at once"
"coloring each little window a different color, with circles and diamonds, red and green, made a single and whole decorative pattern"
"the candle's light seemed to emanate from the form and color of the design itself"
"The lanterns brought out the shadows of the bushes like dark light"
"Glancing with her bright intelligent eyes"
"Probably you will find a girl like a grasshopper whom you think is a bell cricket"
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