THE BROKEN COMMANDMENT BY SHIMIZAKI TORSON

One of the most enjoyable things about a work of fiction is when it provides an introduction to a real life problem or cultural difference or conflict….THE BROKEN COMMANDMENT by Shimizaki Torson is one such book.

The issue here is the plight of the Etas in turn of the century Japan….The Eta were basically the lowest caste in Japanese culture like the untouchables or Dalits in India….For example, they were not allowed to hold good jobs, sit in train compartments with non-Etas or live in housing with non-Etas or even serve tea to non-Eta if they received a visit in their homes.

Ushimatsu, the protagonist of THE BROKEN COMMANDMANT, works as a schoolteacher, a job he would not have if his true Eta ethnic identity is known….From a young age, Ushimatsu’s father told him never to speak of his Eta orgin to anyone.

The inner turmoil caused by this and the injustices he witnesses against other Etas is the conflict here….The turning points are the death of Ushimatsu’s father, his relationship with a famous writer who is publicly known as an Eta, and politics at the school where he works wherein the principal is trying to get rid of him (despite his being very good as a teacher) in order to promote someone else with political connections.

There’s a lot of “mind talk” that is the main character engaging in discussions in their head….Lots of agonized soul searching that can be a bit repetitive….

This is well-written book that tells an interesting story and is also informative but it could have been edited better….Say 40 or 50 less pages would have made this an even tighter narrative.

There were a lot of things I liked about this book especially Ushimatsu’s fumbling, gentle romance with the daughter of an elderly colleague who is forced into an early retirement….I also found the happy ending satisfying and logical.

It is always interesting what meanings people find in novels….I came across this view

http://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~caitlin/papers/broken.html

which ascribes homosexual overtones to this book….LOL!!!! I don’t see that at all!