NO LONGER HUMAN | CHARACTER ANALYSIS
Yozo Oba
In Osamu Dazai’s No Longer Human, Yozo, the protagonist, is a deeply troubled Japanese man who experiences profound depression and an overwhelming sense of alienation from those around him. He possesses an almost inexplicable fear of human interactions, struggling to comprehend the motivations and behaviors of people. This sense of detachment from humanity appears to have deep roots that extend beyond his traumatic experience of abuse by his family’s waitstaff, although this incident significantly compounds his already complex perception of the world.
To cope with this profound alienation, Yozo adopts a facade of humor and sociability, using deception as a means of interacting with others. In reality, he believes that his “clowning” is a mere facade that conceals his true self, which he keeps hidden from the world. Over time, he discovers that he can express some of his inner turmoil through art, particularly painting, although he tends to keep his artistic creations concealed.
During his youth, Yozo encounters Horiki, a fellow art student, who introduces him to the world of alcohol. This marks the beginning of Yozo’s descent into using alcohol as an escape from the harsh realities of life. He also immerses himself in tumultuous romantic relationships and drug use in an attempt to find solace in the world, but these endeavors yield disastrous consequences. Notably, he and his lover Tsuneko make a joint suicide attempt, leading to Tsuneko’s death while Yozo survives. Yozo’s life takes a bleak turn as he embarks on a relentless journey marked by repeated self-harm, tumultuous relationships, and emotional turmoil.
Horiki
Horiki is one of Yozo’s college acquaintances in Tokyo. He is a self-assured painter, who takes Yozo under his wing, introducing him to a lifestyle of drinking, smoking, and engaging with sex workers. Their friendship sometimes appears to have an underlying agenda, as Horiki frequently seeks to borrow money from Yozo. However, Yozo does not seem to mind and instead embraces the chaotic way of life that Horiki embodies.
Later on, Horiki distances himself from Yozo, displaying coldness, especially after Yozo’s suicide attempt. However, he eventually overcomes this detachment and resumes spending time with Yozo, pulling him back into a world of excessive drinking. Just when it appears that Horiki might not genuinely care for Yozo, he, along with Flatfish, intervenes and takes Yozo to a psychiatric facility. At this point, Yozo senses that Horiki’s actions stem from a sincere desire to assist him.
Yoshiko
Yoshiko, aged seventeen, meets Yozo while working across the street from the bar he frequents in Kyobashi. She often admonishes him about his excessive drinking habits. One evening, when drunk, Yozo impulsively proposes marriage to Yoshiko, promising to quit his drinking habits if she agrees. In response, Yoshiko unexpectedly consents to marry him, but on the condition that he cease drinking. Despite agreeing to this, Yozo succumbs to alcohol once again the very next day. However, Yoshiko’s unwavering trust in Yozo leads to their marriage.
As their relationship unfolds, Yozo becomes increasingly concerned about Yoshiko’s innate trust in people, viewing it as a vulnerability. He links her inclination to unquestioningly trust others when she is raped by their neighbor while he passively watches, unable to intervene. This event propels Yozo into a deeper state of depression, ultimately prompting him to contemplate suicide once more. Tragically, Yoshiko holds herself responsible for Yozo’s emotional turmoil, convinced that his guilt stems from the fact that he was unable to protect her.
Flatfish
Flatfish is an old acquaintance of Yozo’s father. When Yozo faces legal trouble and is arrested as an “accomplice to a suicide,” he needs someone to vouch for him and take care of him. At this moment, he reaches out to Flatfish, who agrees to help. Flatfish steps into the role that Yozo’s father abandoned, as his father stopped communicating with him after the suicide attempt.
Flatfish is portrayed as a kind and pragmatic individual. He allows Yozo to live in his home, attempting to fill the void in Yozo’s life. Flatfish even offers to financially support Yozo’s return to college but sets the condition that Yozo must show a genuine desire to rebuild his life. However, Yozo struggles to articulate his desires and ends up fleeing from Flatfish’s offer of assistance. Later in the novel, Flatfish collaborates with Horiki to ensure Yozo receives the care he needs by taking him to a psychiatric ward.
Shizuko
Shizuko enters into a relationship with Yozo after he flees from Flatfish’s residence. Having lost her husband several years earlier, she works for a magazine that occasionally publishes Horiki’s illustrations, which is how Yozo initially crosses paths with her. Intrigued by Yozo’s profound sadness, she readily takes him under her wing, offering support and care. Strangely, she finds his melancholic demeanor somewhat appealing.
Shizuko, along with Horiki and Flatfish, decides that Yozo should sever ties with his family and marry her officially. However, before this plan can come to fruition, Yozo overhears Shigeko, her daughter expressing a desire for her “real” father to return. Realizing that Shizuko and Shigeko would be better off without him, Yozo makes the difficult decision to leave the two.
Shigeko
Shigeko is Shizuko’s daughter. During Yozo’s stay with Shizuko and her, Shigeko forms a fondness for him. However, an inadvertent comment from Shigeko about her late father deeply affects Yozo. She expresses a desire to have her “real” father back, which wounds Yozo emotionally. This moment prompts Yozo to believe that both Shigeko and Shizuko would be better off without him, leading him to decide to run away.
Tsuneko
Tsuneko is a bartender who encounters Yozo one evening when he lacks enough money to cover his drinks. Stricken by Yozo’s apparent sorrow, she takes compassion on him and devotes the entire night to his company. Their interaction eventually leads to an invitation to her apartment, where they share their despair and intimate moments.
Despite Tsuneko’s husband being incarcerated, she wholeheartedly commits to her burgeoning relationship with Yozo. Their connection deepens as they continue to share their mutual unhappiness. Eventually, Tsuneko reaches a point where she can no longer bear the weight of her existence. The two decide to throw themselves into the sea and die together by suicide. However, when they do, Tsuneko dies and Yozo does not. He must then face the scandal surrounding the role he had to play in Tsuneko’s suicide. Tsuneko might have been the only woman Yozo loved, as narrated by him in the novel.
Takeichi
Takeichi is one of Yozo’s fellow high school students, and initially, Yozo perceives him as simple-minded and unobservant. However, Yozo is taken aback when Takeichi turns out to be the only person who sees through Yozo’s constant farcical pretense. This revelation occurs one day at school when Yozo deliberately falls over, leading to laughter from others. When Takeichi approaches him and bluntly states, “You did it on purpose,” a startled and visibly terrified becomes determined to closely monitor and befriend Takeichi, fearing that this perceptive classmate might expose him as a fraud to the whole school.
To Yozo’s surprise, spending time with Takeichi changes his perspective on art. He comes to realize that true artists do not seek to create beautiful or pleasant paintings. Instead, they aim to depict their world as it truly is, even delving into the darker aspects of reality, including the horror and depravity that Yozo observes in the world around him. This revelation had a profound impact on Yozo, inspiring him to pursue a career as a painter. Through his interactions with Takeichi, Yozo discovers a means of expressing his authentic self, which he otherwise keeps hidden from the world.
Yozo’s Father
Yozo’s father is a Japanese politician who resides with his family in the countryside but frequently spends several weeks each month in a townhouse in Tokyo. The novel subtly suggests that he maintains a rather stern and uncompromising demeanor. This sternness is evident when he severs ties with Yozo after the latter attempts suicide, an incident that sparks a scandal and tarnishes his father’s political career. Despite his father’s silence and estrangement following the suicide attempt, Yozo’s brothers continue to provide him with modest financial support. Yozo never reunites with his father and only discovers news of his passing after being discharged from a psychiatric facility.
The Bartender from Kyobashi
Yozo gains favor with the bartender from Kyobashi by confessing one night that he left Shizuko for her. Touched by his honesty and perhaps feeling a connection, the bartender allows him to reside in an apartment above the bar. Although he eventually relocates from this apartment after marrying Yoshiko, the bartender from Kyobashi continues to hold significance in his life. This enduring connection is demonstrated when, years later, she becomes the recipient of Yozo’s notebooks through the mail, indicating a reciprocal sense of connection. Ultimately, she passes on these notebooks to the unnamed narrator.
The Pharmacist
The pharmacist is an elderly woman who introduces to and later supplies him with morphine. Yozo first encounters her following his second suicide attempt, when he coughs up blood and seeks medication. Upon visiting the pharmacy, he immediately senses a profound connection between himself and the pharmacist, recognizing a shared sense of deep unhappiness. This mutual understanding moves them both to tears. Later, the pharmacist advises Yozo to quit drinking and offers him morphine to ease his alcohol withdrawal. However, Yozo quickly becomes addicted to morphine, returning to the pharmacy at all hours of the night, pleading with the pharmacist for more of the drug. Their relationship takes a complicated turn as he embarks on an affair with the pharmacist, who continues to supply him with drugs despite being aware of the risks involved.
