A Pale View of Hills

While present in European cultures, the idea of politeness, or the regard for others’ feelings, is particularly important and omnipresent in Japan. The East Asian understanding of politeness is fundamentally connected to Confucianism, one of the oldest and most influential philosophies attributed to the Chinese philosopher-teacher Kong Fuzi (or Master Fuzi) who lived in the 6th century B.C. In the Confucian worldview, the ideal person is a gentleman who acts in accordance with the Confucian ideas: He respects his superiors and does his best to help and benefit other people. Additionally, a person’s morality is the result not of inner thoughts and emotions, but proper external behavior in relation to other people. In densely populated areas, the understanding is that when everybody complies with the rules of polite behavior, then social conflict will become non-existent. These ideas are taken to an extreme in Japan, the culture of which is considered especially polite, even by its neighbors.

Some of the specific aspects of politeness in Japan include a complex system of honorifics, euphemisms, and avoidance of disagreement and outright rejection. It is also customary to praise others while downplaying one’s own accomplishments and to be particularly welcoming to guests. In comparative terms, politeness in Japan is similar to old American Southern hospitality or the culture of the old European aristocracy. In contrast, traditional Japanese culture considers modern Western social norms encouraging directness and freedom of speech brash and obnoxious. In the novel, Japanese politeness is evident in how Jiro welcomes and converses with his colleagues when they appear unannounced. Jiro’s minimization of his accomplishments in the face of his father’s praise is also an expression of these cultural norms.

As a matter of Japanese politeness, it is important to communicate in a way that avoids conflict or disagreement at all costs and expresses respect for the interlocutor. This could be one explanation for the way dialogue works in A Pale View of the Hills. If social harmony is the primary goal, then it is impossible to openly discuss painful or disagreeable topics. Hence the absence of conversation or even mention of the traumas of war, such as families or loved ones lost. The norms of politeness could also explain how non-judgmental Etsuko seems in her interactions with Sachiko.

It is also taboo to admit to unhappiness or seek help from others. As a result, Etsuko’s conversations come across as somewhat shallow and stilted, at least from a Western perspective. She is unable to share the feelings of emptiness, even with Mrs. Fujiwara, the closest to a mother figure there is in the novel. Nor is she able to blatantly express her unhappiness as a narrator, instead creating the character of Sachiko through which she can channel her true feelings and communicate them to the reader. Because Etsuko relates only past events and her conversations with other people without directly revealing their emotional and psychological impact on her, it is challenging to interpret her behavior and words. This, in turn, indicates the broad miscommunication present in Japanese society caused by the inability to speak directly