Page:Tayama Katai and His Novel Entitled Futon (Reece).pdf/103



In the Fifth Act, Johannes' mind is made up. Johannes' tirade to his mother bears out this point:

On the verge of destruction, Johannes' depressed mental state is described below:

By tracing all the sequences of Johannes' actions which led to his self-imposed destruction, it becomes evident that the prime mover of the play is hidden in Johannes' character: Although he is loving, submissive, and obedient, there are in his spirit traces of independence, rebellion, and stubbornness. All these things were discernible in his behavior at the beginning of the play. He has brought everything that has happened upon himself. These things were in his character and they necessarily directed his actions. In other words,