Synopsis
Mieko Kawakami’s “Heaven” centers on a 14-year-old boy named “I,” who is bullied for having a squint. One day, he finds a letter in his pencil case that reads, “We’re friends.”
The letter is from Kojima, a girl in his class who is also being bullied. The two begin a secret correspondence and begin to support each other in their solitude.
However, Kojima insists that “our suffering has meaning,” and tries to maintain herself by accepting the bullying.
Meanwhile, Momose, the bully, coldly tells him, “Bullying has nothing to do with your squint. There’s just a system of violence,” pointing out the cruel structure of the world.
The story unfolds as the ideologies of three characters clash:
- Kojima, who gives meaning to suffering
- Momose, who speaks of the world’s cruelty as a “structure”
- “I,” who is torn between the two.
Towards the end of the story, the bullying is discovered through a certain incident, and “I” undergoes surgery to correct my strabismus.
The beauty of the world he sees after the surgery, however, is also a solitary beauty that cannot be shared with anyone, leaving a strong impression on the reader.
Impressions
- A “philosophical novel” that transcends the boundaries of a bullying novel.
On the surface, it’s a story about bullying among middle school students, but in reality, I felt it delved deeply into philosophical themes such as:
- good and evil
- the meaning of suffering
- the structure of the world
- the relationship between self and others.
In particular, Momose’s words, “violence is a system, not a personal attribute,” pose a powerful question.
- The Painfulness of Kojima’s Thoughts
Kojima tries to accept her own impurity and the suffering caused by bullying.
Her actions are both painful and, at the same time, seem to symbolize how people find meaning in their suffering and live their lives.
I understand her way of thinking, but I felt it was one I could never emulate. - The beauty and loneliness of the ending:
The beauty of the world “I” sees after the surgery seems like salvation, but it also symbolizes the loneliness that cannot be shared with anyone.
I felt that this duality encapsulated the theme of the entire work. - The appeal of the “lack of answers” that lingers after reading:
I felt that “Heaven” was unable to provide clear answers.
This is why readers will reread the work through their own values and experiences, and I felt that it was a novel that left a lasting impression after reading it.
