Ishiguro's Bridge of Hesitation

Everyone understands what it is like to not be somewhere, but to be heading there, whether literally or in some abstract sense. The idea of the bridge captures this common experience in a physical form. Ishiguro’s opening to this novel creates a great range of variance that is easily applicable to the story told by the protagonist. By creating a friendship with the reader or listener as it seems Ono has begun the novel with a voice, he is able to lead us across to the other side.

A bridge carries a majestic quality in itself, as it the accomplishment of humanity to be more efficient and capitalize on what was once a difficult or impossible journey. The idea of a “bridge of hesitation” leads the reader to be apprehensive of what will become of our journey. It is on a bridge that one may feel the need for companionship as well, another reason why there is an immediate bond between Ono and the reader. The novel begins with a “steep path leading up from the little wooden bridge,” a narrative tool to give the reader a sense of alienation and confusion, but Ono immediately steps in to guide the narrative, confident in direction. It is this sudden comfort that later helps to raise attention to whom Ono truly is. At the onset of the story Ono walks the reader towards his grandiose house that he afforded due to his high merit, but as the story starts to unfold more and more, we become slightly skeptical whether this is the whole truth.

The bridge of hesitation raises the awareness of Ono’s life, as he shows signs of confusion in his setting. Masuji Ono is an artist, but he no longer leads the life of an artist as he did in pre-war times. There have been events in the life of Ono that have acted as catalysts for a new fate, one that placed him in the house of Akira Sugimura, a commanding position on the hill. The relationship between Ono and his daughters, where he carries with him signs of depression, lost in his ‘floating world.’ It is as though Masuji feels a sense of belonging to the quality of life that comes hand in hand identifying oneself as an artisan. On the other hand Ono, due to his merit can be seen as looking down on the artists of the world, because of the fortune of the estate. Mentally, our storyteller may not be who he describes himself to be, instead he has seemingly put up a façade, whether consciously or not, because he is identifying himself as somewhere between two very different worlds.

 I am anxious to see the path that Ono walks us through. Will he chose to head one direction on his bridge, or will he plunder back and forth? This stage of the novel I am a bit confused on where the story will head, Ishiguro has laid the seeds for a an interesting series of events, lets see how they sprout. As a reader I feel that I am at a bridging point in the book, as I can not decide if I trust our storyteller, or am I weary of the truth that pervades his character. I am curious as to how I will react to his decision, or whether he will remain in figurative limbo...