"Why Do Human Beings Create Literature?"

"Literature is a verbal endeavor made in order to recognize the meaning of one's being at one's very root, with an overall understanding of one's relation to society, the world, and the cosmos. Therefore, when a giant corporation, disrupting the natural cycle of life and death, exercises its large-scale violence over human beings - so large that it destroys the fundamental harmony between human beings and their society, the world, and the cosmos - literature, standing on human ground, will continue to protest against such violence”.

That was Kenzaburo Oe, arguably the best known Japanese writer in recent times. I came across his reference in Amartya Sen’s book Idea of Justice. Finally I got this book few weeks back, bargained for 100rs!. Some books will survive for many decades and more, this book is one of them. I have read many chapters, though scholarly it is written in a conversational tone makes it interesting. Sometimes you do feel need for more background knowledge and further reading to get some references. Frankly the guy is amazingly erudite. But then the distrust this blogger mentioned in the earlier blog just got consolidated. ‘Sustainable development and Environment’ is a sub chapter in the book, this blogger though was expecting much on this considering the impact understanding of justice vis-à-vis environment is having on the contemporary world and the realities of the lives of most people. This is an immediate and grievous matter. The idea of justice has to be reflected in any treaties on environment, it need reflect the overall context and entirety of impact, not necessarily justice as seen from elite point of view, there seem to be an attempt on collective ethical nihilism. But Amartya Sen seems to have no time for these, it’s a 4 page chapter in a 467 page book!! (incidentally the acknowledgment section is 8 long page). Even in these 4 pages his concerns seems to be human centric-utilitarian, very much in consonant with market-incentive compatible, and seem to have written in a hurry. Very disappointing. But again it is a great book to have and extremely well written, probably the best on any understanding of Justice.

Problem with theories and intellectual elites is that they are generally ensconced from realities and uncertainties of life that we common people face on daily basis. The reasons for these contradictions, so while Americans were high on democracy but till few decades back were viciously racist. Europe's (France and Britain specifically) pride for liberty and egalitarian values juxtaposed with colonialism and untold misery (you just have to read few chapters particularly about France in Africa, it is genocide if not extermination). In Indian context too while majority of sections were facing vicious forms of discrimination the elite was into philosophical discourses (likes of Amartya Sen are carrying that tradition of irresponsibility), not denying that many of philosophical understanding was amazing and thought provoking. It is therefore not a coincidence that the social protest was initiated from the lower strata of the society, Bhakti movement during the medieval era is just an example…from Kabir to Namdev their occupations and their concerns are not coincidence, the reason for their huge popularity. Freedom movement from British was basically about power struggle the reason why elite had bigger stake (if they had any concern about people the decade after independence would have seen some revolutionary actions in particular land reforms, the reason initial phase of communism was nothing short of spectacular. This is not undermine the fact that some amazing people sacrificed for the cause of freedom as also the fact that period after independence provided the foundation for stable nation). Don’t know why they call these subaltern studies, beyond me!!.

Kenzaburo Oe is someone I came across almost a decade back I need to thank Sahitya Academy Library (Delhi) for much of my good reading, since I wasn’t much aware of many writers I used to start alphabetically!! (There are many excellent libraries in Delhi. I loved the one at JNU, although I strongly feel the uncouth city doesn’t really deserve these. Bangalore though a great place to be in unfortunately lacks good library, it really is shocking). Kenzabura Oe is someone I had taken up to read but due to unforeseen circumstances couldn’t, then I forgot about him. Now I am searching him in the libraries (these days I am ambivalent about putting money on books when there is option on horse!!. Sure enough I won some money, now the basic rule of probability applied to turf club is that you don’t win always. So I decided to put money on Oe’s “A Personal matter”, alas despite the reputation as knowledge center Bangalore has no good libraries or bookstalls that keep these books. I am amazed). Last few days I have been going through the Net and downloading lots of stuff about Oe. I happen to read his Nobel Prize acceptance speech (the link to the website from this blog, frankly I am disappointed with the site. They don’t renew it and have the same main webpage week after week).

Here is an excerpt of what he said: Japan's 'ambiguity' in my lecture is a kind of chronic disease that has been prevalent throughout the modern age. Japan's economic prosperity is not free from it either, accompanied as it is by all kinds of potential dangers in the light of the structure of world economy and environmental conservation. The 'ambiguity' in this respect seems to be accelerating. It may be more obvious to the critical eyes of the world at large than to us within the country”.

Later he says “What kind of identity as a Japanese should I seek? W.H. Auden once defined the novelist as follows:..., among the dust
Be just, among the Filthy filthy too,
And in his own weak person, if he can,
Must suffer dully all the wrongs of Man.
('The Novelist', 11-14)

This is what has become my 'habit of life' (in Flannery O'Connor's words) through being a writer as my profession.

On another occasion he mentions “Literature must be written from the periphery toward the center, and we can criticize the center. Our credo, our theme, or our imagination is that of the peripheral human being. The man who is in the center does not have anything to write. From the periphery, we can write the story of the human being and this story can express the humanity of the center, so when I say the word periphery, this is a most important creed of mine”.

I have started to like Kenzabura Oe a lot as I read (best way to understand a writer or for that matter anyone is to identify oneself with them, it makes it easy and riveting). I haven’t read Adventure of Nils but my first seven or eight years of life I recall having only one story book (that was before increased comfort in life and pre teen comics), probably a gift from someone. The oversized book had big pictures and story line in few sentences. It was about a boy who was carried by geese to different lands and when he returns with the birds to home he finds his mother making cake!!. I loved that book a lot and must have read hundreds of time and can still recall most sentences of the book, not to mention recurring dreams of flying. Over the years I have understood coming home is about reaching and understanding oneself.

In one interview of Oe I found this incredible line when asked whether he was the first writer in your family?. Oe replies “This is a very delicate problem. My family continued to live [on that island] for two hundred years or more. There are plenty of journalists among my ancestors. So if they had wanted to publish, I think they could have been the first writers. But unfortunately, or fortunately, they didn't publish, so I am the first man who published what I wrote; but my mother was always saying that "You men of our family are always writing the same thing". I like that one!!

Kenzaburo Oe has been very actively involved with young people (his son who suffers from congenital brain damage has been his inspiration for decades, he mentions at one point how it led him to Hiroshima and deeper involvement in writing “Yet as a writer, I must acknowledge the fact that the central theme of my work throughout much of my career has been the way my family has managed to live with this handicapped child”. More about it in my bird’s blog). When asked how young people (students/writers) should prepare for future. He says “First, I hope young men are upright, independent. Secondly I hope they have imagination. The imagination is not to accept the other's image but to create our own image and more precisely to reform the imagination which was given to us. To be upright and to have an imagination: that is enough to be a very good young man”. Simple words lots of meaning.

I hope to read most of Kenzeburo Oe in near future.