No Longer Human Themes

No Longer Human explores what it’s like to feel completely detached and alienated from society. Yozo, the novel’s protagonist, feels fundamentally at odds with everyone around him, finding everything about humanity unnatural and impossible to comprehend. In other words, nothing about human behavior or society feels intuitive to him, and his only way of getting through life is by mimicking the social conduct he thinks other people view as acceptable. And yet, by constantly…

Although No Longer Human primarily focuses on social isolation, the novel also considers the kinds of connection that are still available to people who feel alienated and alone. Yozo, for instance, is so estranged from everyone around him that he legitimately fears other human beings—and yet, he still experiences moments of connection throughout the novel. In general, the most meaningful relationships he forms are built on a sense of mutual suffering. For example, he…

In many ways, No Longer Human is a testament to the human tendency to naturally gravitate toward self-expression. Even though Yozo goes to great lengths in his everyday life to conceal his inner thoughts and feelings, he’s still drawn to certain modes of self-expression that allow him to represent his “true nature.” When he’s an adolescent, for instance, he discovers that painting can be an outlet of sorts, since the artform provides him with a…