The Custom House: Analysis of Major Characters
"The Custom House: Analysis of Major Characters" explores a diverse cast of individuals navigating the complexities of post-World War II Japan, each embodying unique perspectives shaped by their backgrounds and experiences. The protagonist, Professor William Knox, is a British phonetics expert who, despite his affection for his neighbor Setsuko, finds himself weary of cultural dichotomies and ultimately departs Japan disillusioned. Reverend Michael C. Welling represents emotional frailty, grappling with personal guilt and societal expectations, especially after becoming embroiled in a scandal following the murder of his student, Sanae. Setsuko, an American-educated chemist, feels alienated due to her mixed heritage and external pressures, unable to reciprocate Knox’s feelings while eventually fleeing under suspicion of espionage.
Sanae herself is a complex figure, an orphaned stripper whose determination leads to tragic outcomes, particularly following her murder, which raises questions about her relationships and threats. Other characters, like the powerful businessman Furomoto and the cynical journalist Ed Schneider, contribute to a portrait of a society in turmoil, grappling with moral ambiguities and the implications of Western influence. This narrative highlights the interplay of personal and political tensions, revealing how each character's choices reflect broader social dynamics in a rapidly changing world. Overall, the analysis offers insightful commentary on the characters' struggles with identity, loyalty, and the consequences of their actions amid the backdrop of a tumultuous era.
The Custom House: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Francis King
First published: 1961
Genre: Novel
Locale: Kyoto, Japan
Plot: Social realism
Time: The 1950's
Professor William Knox, a British university professor teaching in Kyoto, Japan. Equally impatient with the reticence and formality of the Japanese and the intrusiveness of foreigners, the forty-four-year-old phonetics expert acts as a somewhat weary and ironic commentator on the rapidly changing culture of post-World War II Japan. A widower, he falls in love with his neighbor Setsuko, who, for various reasons, cannot return his love. Knox's stay in Japan ends when he flies out of the country with the disgraced missionary Welling. At the novel's end, he is in Greece, his favorite country, where he learns that Setsuko has left Japan.
The Reverend Michael C. Welling, an Australian missionary. He is physically attractive yet emotionally weak, as is revealed early in the novel, when he tries to drive away without aiding a woman whom he sideswipes with his car. Welling's cowardice is also revealed through his own remembrances of how he failed to aid his brother during a shark attack and how he conducted himself during the war. His general unhappiness with his work is ameliorated temporarily when he falls in love with Sanae. The married missionary's frequent interaction with his beautiful student, however, soon leads to gossip and controversy. When Sanae is found murdered, the innocent and naïve Welling becomes the primary suspect. Characteristically, he chooses to flee the country rather than to face a prolonged trial and likely conviction.
Setsuko, an American-educated chemist who works in a nuclear weapons lab. The daughter of a Japanese father and a Russian mother, she considers herself to be an outsider in all cultures. Her unusual physical features, American education, and unfortunate relationship with her rich and powerful Japanese uncle all combine to alienate her from Japan and the Japanese. Although she enjoys Knox's company, she cannot return his love. Eventually, she flees Japan under the suspicion of having stolen atomic secrets for the Communists.
Sanae, a young, beautiful Japanese stripper. An orphan reared by missionaries in Hiroshima, she is both perceptive and determined. Her affair with Furomoto ends when, characteristically, he tires of her, but she uses her pregnancy by Furomoto to threaten blackmail. Suspecting Setsuko of having gone through her things on several occasions, Sanae ransacks Setsuko's room, taking some incriminating papers with her when she leaves. Later, Sanae is found murdered. Whether Sanae is killed because of these secret papers or because of her threat to blackmail Furomoto is left unclear.
Furomoto, a rich and powerful Japanese businessman and artist. Insensitive and, at times, ruthless in both his business and his private affairs, he elicits antipathy in almost everyone with whom he interacts in the novel. His affairs with Sanae and Setsuko, his niece, have tragic consequences for both women. His desire to have Sanae disposed of is made clear; whether his wishes are acted on remains ambiguous.
Aileen Colethorpe, an American artist who rooms with Sanae. Colethorpe is under Furomoto's patronage until she angers him by resisting his artistic dicta. She and Sanae move in with Setsuko and her aunt after Furomoto stops providing the American and her friend with free housing. After Knox has left Japan, she writes him in Greece to tell him about Setsuko's flight from Japan.
Ed Schneider, an American journalist. Cynical, boorish, and brilliant, he has seen his reputation irreparably damaged by his alcoholism. He speaks Japanese fluently and understands the Japanese people better than any other for-eigner.
Asai, a poor student. Although driven by his hatred both of Western intrusions into his country and of the Japanese lack of resolve, he chooses to strike out at the representatives of Western ideology. In Welling's Bible class, he ridicules Christian beliefs and goads Welling by telling him that he and the others are taking the class only to practice their English. His anarchism leads him to attempt to kill Furomoto, but the bungled bombing results only in his own death and the death of Furomoto's servant. Setsuko's respect for Asai is an early indication of her political sympathies.
The Reverend Harry Ambleside, the English director of the mission. He is admired by Welling, who notes the mix of altruism and ambition that drives Ambleside. Although Welling's lack of courage bothers Ambleside, he nevertheless tries to help out his fellow missionary once the scandal breaks. Ambleside's generally unruffled attitude toward both religion and the Japanese contrasts sharply with Welling's troubled outlook on both.