In No Longer Human, the female characters all seem to have some connection to the women in his life, and why wouldn’t they in a semi-autobiographical novel? Yozo’s mother is practically non-existent, very much like Dazai’s own mother. After marrying Michiko his women troubles consisted of him getting another woman, Shizuko, pregnant and a year long relationship with a hairdresser, Tomie, who he later succeeded in a double suicide with. Shortly after that his writing mentor Ibuse Masuji helped him to marry a middle school teacher named Michiko. Dazai and Hatsuyo then attempted a double suicide by taking sleeping pills, but it didn’t work. On top of that, while he was in the mental institution recovering from drug addiction, from when he was taking a morphine-based painkiller at the hospital being treated for acute appendicitis, Hatsuyo committed adultery with his best friend, an artist by the name of Zenshirou Kodate. He believed that she was still a virgin when he married her and was devastated when he learned that wasn’t the case. Then Dazai basically forced his family into paying off Hatsuyo’s debts so he could marry her. His family intervened so he wouldn’t cause trouble with police investigations regarding the incident. Nine days after being disowned he attempted suicide by drowning with a waitress, Shimeko, who died while he survived. As Dazai grew up he fell in love with a geisha, Hatsuyo, and ran away with her only to be disowned by his family because of it.

His real mother was in very poor health and was regularly away relaxing at onsens for health reasons.Īfter his idol Akutagawa’s suicide in 1927 Dazai turned to spending money on clothes, alcohol, and prostitutes. If you do not want to read PG13 rated material do not read this post* Women in Dazai’s Lifeĭazai Osamu was very attached to his aunt and a nurse maid who helped raise him, Take-san, and actually considered both of those women to be more like a mother to him than his own mother. *Caution: this post includes some mature topics. ^ Dazai and Michiko with their daughter Sonoko And the real Dazai has hinted at being abused as a child in his first famous publication, “Memories,” so there is a similarity there. It is true that the Yozo, the protagonist of No Longer Human, was sexually abused as a child by a female servant at the house. I Love what you’re doing with the quotes/meta, thanks

Any thoughts on this? If you answered this before please just give me a link. (2) I’ve noticed the same thing when I read his short story Tanabata.

Yoshiko no longer human