Why Is 'A Personal Matter' Considered Controversial?

The climax of 'A Personal Matter' is a raw, emotional turning point where Bird finally confronts the reality of his infant son's brain deformity. After spiraling through self-destructive behavior—drinking, abandoning his family, even fantasizing about killing the baby—he reaches a breaking point during a chaotic night in Tokyo’s underworld. His lover, Himiko, pushes him toward a decision: either accept responsibility or flee forever. In a gut-wrenching moment, Bird chooses to embrace his son’s life, realizing that his own fear and immaturity have blinded him. The hospital scene where he sees the baby’s innocent face crystallizes this shift. Kenzaburo Oe masterfully strips away all distractions, leaving Bird exposed to his own humanity. It’s not just about the child’s survival; it’s Bird’s rebirth as a father, shedding his childish illusions. The climax thrums with visceral tension, but its quiet aftermath—the acceptance of imperfection—is what lingers.

In 'A Personal Matter', the ending is both harrowing and strangely liberating. Bird, the protagonist, spends most of the novel grappling with the birth of his disabled son and his own existential dread. His initial reaction is to flee, fantasizing about escaping to Africa and abandoning his family. The climax sees him making a desperate attempt to kill his son with the help of a sex worker, only to pull back at the last moment. This moment of hesitation marks a turning point. Bird finally accepts responsibility and decides to raise his son, embracing the chaos and pain of fatherhood. The novel closes with him taking the baby home, signaling a reluctant but profound transformation. The ending doesn’t offer easy resolutions—it’s raw, messy, and painfully human. Kenzaburō Ōe leaves readers with a sense of uneasy hope, as Bird steps into a future he once feared.

In 'A Personal Matter', Kenzaburo Oe uses symbolism to delve deep into the protagonist's psychological turmoil. The deformed baby symbolizes the protagonist's own feelings of inadequacy and fear of responsibility. The recurring motif of flight and birds represents his desperate desire to escape reality—whether through alcohol, fantasies, or literal attempts to flee. The hospital setting serves as a microcosm of society's judgment, where he confronts his failures. Another layer is the urban landscape of Tokyo, reflecting his fragmented mental state. The crowded streets mirror his claustrophobic thoughts, while the bars he frequents become havens of temporary oblivion. The baby's condition also symbolizes postwar Japan's collective trauma, a physical manifestation of unresolved guilt and shame. Oe masterfully ties these symbols to the protagonist's internal conflict, making the novel a harrowing exploration of human fragility.

'A Personal Matter' dives deep into the messy, terrifying reality of fatherhood through the lens of Bird, a man who sees his newborn son's disability as a prison sentence. The novel strips away the romanticized image of paternal love, exposing raw fear and selfishness. Bird's initial desire to abandon his child mirrors society's discomfort with imperfection, but his eventual acceptance isn't heroic—it's a quiet, painful reckoning with responsibility. Kenzaburo Oë doesn't offer easy answers. The baby's brain hernia becomes a metaphor for Bird's own emotional deformities, forcing him to confront his failures as a man. Scenes like the drunken Tokyo bender or the botched infanticide plot feel like exorcisms of toxic masculinity. What makes the exploration groundbreaking is its honesty: fatherhood here isn't instinctive but learned through shame and desperation.

I've read 'A Personal Matter' and dug into its background extensively. Kenzaburo Oe wrote it as a deeply personal novel, but it's not a direct retelling of real events. The protagonist Bird's struggles mirror Oe's own experiences with his disabled son, blending autobiography with fiction. The raw emotions feel authentic because Oe channels his turmoil into the narrative, crafting something universal from private pain. While specific plot points are invented, the psychological landscape is brutally honest. Themes of guilt, responsibility, and redemption stem from Oe’s life, making it resonate like a true story. Critics often call it 'autofiction'—a hybrid where truth fuels imagination. The hospital scenes, existential dread, and even the chaotic Tokyo settings reflect post-war Japan’s anxieties, grounding the surreal moments in reality.

'H.R.H.' is set in a fictional European kingdom called 'Cordonia,' a place dripping with aristocratic glamour and political intrigue. The setting matters because Cordonia isn't just a backdrop—it’s a character itself. The kingdom’s rigid traditions and opulent palaces clash with modern ideals, forcing the protagonist to navigate a world where love battles duty. The monarchy’s influence seeps into every relationship, turning romance into a high-stakes game of power and diplomacy. The lush landscapes and grand ballrooms amplify the tension between personal desires and royal expectations. Cordonia’s fictional history, filled with arranged marriages and whispered scandals, mirrors real-world monarchies, making the conflicts relatable yet fantastical. The setting elevates the story from a simple love tale to a gripping exploration of sacrifice and legacy, where every choice could destabilize a throne.

The setting of 'The Outsiders' is crucial because it frames the entire conflict. The story takes place in Tulsa, Oklahoma, during the 1960s, where socioeconomic divides are stark. The Greasers, poor kids from the East Side, constantly clash with the Socs, wealthy kids from the West Side. This urban battlefield isn't just background—it's the reason the story exists. The Greasers' struggle for respect and survival mirrors real-world class tensions, making their fights more than just teenage brawls. The setting's roughness shapes characters like Ponyboy and Johnny, forcing them to grow up fast. Without this division, the story loses its edge.

In 'Dark Matter', the doppelgängers are chilling extensions of the multiverse concept—versions of the same person splintered across infinite realities. The protagonist, Jason Dessen, encounters his own duplicates, each shaped by different life choices. One might be a celebrated physicist, another a struggling artist, yet another a ruthless corporate conqueror. These doppelgängers aren’t just physical copies; their personalities diverge wildly, reflecting the chaos of branching timelines. Some are allies, others lethal adversaries, all fighting to claim the 'true' life. The brilliance lies in how the novel explores identity through these mirrors. A doppelgänger isn’t just a twin—it’s a walking 'what if,' embodying regrets, ambitions, and roads untaken. The most terrifying one is Jason2, who infiltrates the protagonist’s world with chilling precision, exploiting his family’s trust. The narrative forces us to ask: if faced with a better version of yourself, would you surrender your life? The doppelgängers here aren’t folklore monsters—they’re existential crises made flesh.