Patriotism

In this essay I will analyze the suicides of Shinji and Reiko. They are the main characters in Yukio Mishima’s “Patriotism.” Both of their deaths are heroic acts, but I intend to show that Reiko’s suicide was more heroic. To do this, the definition of a hero must be addressed. Then I will show that each character’s conflict defines how heroic their respective suicides were.
A hero is someone who takes action for the benefit of someone else. An act that benefits few people is more heroic then one benefiting many people. When a hero helps few people, less good will is to be gained from the act. The act must also have possible detrimental consequences. More detrimental consequences make the act a more heroic one. Here is a good example. The soldier who charges a machine gun to save fifty fellow soldiers is a hero. The action benefited the other soldiers. Their lives were saved. The personal consequences for the soldier who charged the machine gun are ominous. Th...