The Snow Country: A Psychological and Philosophical Analysis

Running head: THE SNOW COUNTRY
THE SNOW COUNTRY
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1THE SNOW COUNTRY
Q4. What is the snow country? Does it refer to a place, an emotional/psychological state, or
both?
Snow country is a widely known novel written by Yasunari Kawabata. The book is on
considered to be the writer’s masterpiece which is a compelling tale of lost love in the setting of
desolate beauty of western Japan. The novel is in the environment of one of the slopes of Japan
that is the snowiest region of the world. The book is read widely for its intellectual insights, in a
similar way this particular essay aims to the concept of snow country in regard to the author’s
perspective. The essay considers the snow country to analysis if it is in reference to
psychological state or philosophical state.
In the year 1968, the winner of the Nobel Prize in literature was Yasunari Kawabata. Her
Nobel, Snow country was published for the first time in different forms from 1935 through 1947.
It is considered one of his significant work. The story appeared as a short story in a literary
journal. After the publishing of related stories in a different journal, it was combined into one
final Nobel. The title of the story is a reference to a mountain region located in Japan. The place
receives heavy snow from the north winds of the Sea of Japan. The snow, being of considerable
amount, at times separate towns and villages from its surrounding areas. This particular setting is
to create the mood of the book with a sense of loneliness. Snow country, therefore, is a place as
well as an emotional and psychological state. Since everything in the story is not explained one
has to think deeply about the meaning of the story. However, the writer shares and shows the
complexity of the human relationship with the story of two people where they attempt to connect
but fails whether realising. It is about isolation and loneliness involved in human relationships
(Meaders 42).

2THE SNOW COUNTRY
In the story, it is the nature and the landscape that plays an important role similar to the
characters. Also, it is important to mention that the surrounding including the snowcapped peaks
of the mountain terrain become a character in their own sense. Shimamura is a businessman and
the main character in the story who is bored living a monotonous life that the writer says he lives
a life of idleness. In order to revive himself and recover some of the honesty, he finds himself
lost and decides to visit the hot springs. The person mostly lives within his fantasy world which
means he is not a mature person. He is deprived of experiencing things first hand as he is always
in his thoughts (Kawabata).
Shimamura is meet Komako on the way of his trip and impressed by her however he
wanted to remain friends with her. He was not looking for geisha, however, he was not willing
for any other geisha apart from Komako. He gets involved with her in a complicated relationship
with emotional upheaval from Komako. He visits her again and again, and he finds her often
drunk. She is indecisive in with Shimamura therefore, she tells him to leave and again be with
her. The relationship is complicated for a geisha is expected to only entertain men and not get
involved in relationships. Shimamura keeps up with the occasional anger and moodiness.
Shimamura learns about Komako’s relation with Yoko which was distasteful. According to
Shimamura, it was jealousy between the two women. Yukio dies, and when Shimamura visits,
she wants to go to Tokyo with him. Komako tells the girl will become insane however she does
not have any explanation for it. When there is a major warehouse fire, Shimamura and Komako
reaches the place and find Yoko as a victim. On that moment Komako calls her insane and asks
everyone to stay away from her (Foolen & Yamaguchi 191).
The story is based on both psychological state and a place. It shows the character’s
thinking pattern and the way he lives in his fantasy world. While he was on a train heading to hot