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56 pages 1 hour read

Osamu Dazai

No Longer Human

Osamu DazaiFiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1948

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Before Reading

Reading Context

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. Consider the role that shame plays in human behavior. How might social concerns regarding this emotion regulate a person’s emotions and decision making?

Teaching Suggestion: This Short Answer question provides an opportunity to introduce a variety of novel elements, including its themes, setting, and primary conflict. The protagonist Yozo grapples with the feeling of shame over the course of his 27 short years. He struggles with his understanding of humanity throughout the novel, often resorting to substance use in order to deal with the shame that he feels. Culture and location can impact the way a society contends with shame; after first responding to the general question above, students then might speculate about the novel’s setting of Japan and the cultural expectations and norms that Yozo experiences and that affect his mental health. These and similar resources may be helpful in establishing additional context.

2. Consider the stigma surrounding poverty and impoverished communities. Historically, how have these stigmas shaped relations between social classes? How does this stigma connect with capitalist economies in the 20th century?

Teaching Suggestion: This Short Answer question invites students to consider an important socio-economic theme of the novel, The Fear of Poverty. Yozo possesses a strong dislike of poverty. Originally from a wealthier socio-economic background, he does not know real poverty until his university years; it is at this point he discovers that he must learn to earn money and to budget. He is struck with the difficulty of maintaining a lavish, unhealthy lifestyle . He is also conscious of others’ poverty throughout the novel. Yozo’s conflicts with poverty connect to his preoccupation with shame as well as his overall mental health. After addressing the question, small groups or pairs of readers might explore these or similar academic articles on the link between poverty, mental health, and social expectations.

Short Activity

Osamu Dazai is considered one of the most important contributors to modern Japanese literature. Working in small groups, select one notable Japanese author to research. In an informal presentation, share this person’s background, along with the titles of their famous literary works and notable themes in their literature. Include any relevant visual media, if relevant.

Teaching Suggestion: This Short Activity invites students to explore notable contributors to Japanese literature. After this brief research activity, group members might make predictions regarding connections between Dazai’s topics and themes and those of their chosen author.

Differentiation Suggestion: For students who would benefit from a comparative reading approach, the group or those working independently might select a short story by Osamu Dazai to read, annotate, and briefly present to the class. Students can make predictions about theme connections between the short story and upcoming novel.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the text.

What does it mean to be a human? In particular, what are some of the qualities that distinguish us from other species? What are some of the qualities that unite humans together?

Teaching Suggestion: This Personal Connection Prompt invites students to consider the novel’s central idea of being human. From the onset of the novel, Yozo believes that he is an outsider to humans and that he does not belong in society, which ultimately fuels his feelings of shame and self-destructive behavior. This Prompt connects with the Discussion/Analysis Prompt.

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