The Sound of Waves

by

Yukio Mishima

Shinji’s Mother Character Analysis

Shinji’s mother is a widowed woman raising her two young sons as best as she can. A seasoned pearl-diver, she is athletic, brave, and deeply devoted to her family’s well-being. She has a very complicated inner life; though she is a devout woman who mourns her husband’s passing by visiting his grave each month and paying respects at a prayer altar in her home, there is a part of her that longs for more children, adventure, and another chance at love. As a diving woman, she is one of the wisest and most experienced women on the island—yet because she is poor, she finds herself excluded from exerting any influence in her community. When her son Shinji becomes the subject of terrible rumors, Shinji’s mother does everything she can to clear her son’s name—yet she finds herself humiliated when she is unable to even obtain an audience with the wealthy Terukichi Miyata, the father of the girl Shinji is rumored to have deflowered. Shinji’s mother enjoys work and finds herself bored and lonely during the winter and spring months when there is no pearl diving to be done. She draws strength from being around other women who share the same struggles as her, who have the same connection to nature that she does, and who are focused, for the most part, on helping one another rather than tearing each other down with petty gossip. A thoughtful, giving, fiercely defensive individual, Shinji’s mother wants her sons to live happy lives free of worry, strife, or pain.

Shinji’s Mother Quotes in The Sound of Waves

The The Sound of Waves quotes below are all either spoken by Shinji’s Mother or refer to Shinji’s Mother. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Lessons from Nature Theme Icon
).
Chapter 10 Quotes

The mother took a very tolerant view of young people’s amorous affairs. And even during the diving season, when everyone stood about the drying-fire gossiping, she held her tongue. But when it came to its being her own son's affair that was the subject of malicious gossip, then there was a motherly duty that she would have to perform.

Related Characters: Shinji Kubo, Shinji’s Mother, Hiroshi Kubo
Related Symbols: Pearl Diving
Page Number: 103
Explanation and Analysis:

It might be better to say that Terukichi was the personification of all Uta-jima’s toil and determination and ambition and strength. […] The uncanny accuracy of his weather predictions, his matchless experience in the matters of fishing and navigation, and the great pride he took in knowing all the history and traditions of the island were often offset by his uncompromising stubbornness, his ludicrous pretensions, and his pugnacity…

Related Characters: Shinji’s Mother, Terukichi Miyata
Page Number: 106
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 12 Quotes

Shinji’s mother hesitated a moment as she was about to enter the house. Just the fact that she had come calling at the Miyata house, where she was not on intimate terms, would be enough to set the villagers’ tongues to wagging.

Related Characters: Shinji’s Mother, Terukichi Miyata
Page Number: 126
Explanation and Analysis:

Double suicide then? Even on this island there had been lovers who took that solution. But the boy’s good sense repudiated the thought, and he told himself that those others had been selfish persons who thought only of themselves. Never once had he thought about such a thing as dying; and, above all, there was his family to support.

Related Characters: Shinji Kubo, Hatsue Miyata, Shinji’s Mother
Page Number: 126
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 13 Quotes

Hatsue got to her feet in silence and went around the rock to receive her prize. And the prize she returned with was the brown, middle-aged handbag, which she pressed into the hands of Shinji’s mother.

The mother's cheeks flushed red with delight.

“But...why?...”

“Because I’ve always wanted to apologize ever since my father spoke so rudely to Auntie that day.” […]

The mother's simple, straightforward heart had immediately understood the modesty and respect behind the girl’s gesture. Hatsue smiled, and Shinji's mother told herself how wise her son had been in his choice of a bride.

Related Characters: Hatsue Miyata (speaker), Shinji’s Mother (speaker), Shinji Kubo
Related Symbols: Pearl Diving
Page Number: 146
Explanation and Analysis:
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The Sound of Waves PDF

Shinji’s Mother Quotes in The Sound of Waves

The The Sound of Waves quotes below are all either spoken by Shinji’s Mother or refer to Shinji’s Mother. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Lessons from Nature Theme Icon
).
Chapter 10 Quotes

The mother took a very tolerant view of young people’s amorous affairs. And even during the diving season, when everyone stood about the drying-fire gossiping, she held her tongue. But when it came to its being her own son's affair that was the subject of malicious gossip, then there was a motherly duty that she would have to perform.

Related Characters: Shinji Kubo, Shinji’s Mother, Hiroshi Kubo
Related Symbols: Pearl Diving
Page Number: 103
Explanation and Analysis:

It might be better to say that Terukichi was the personification of all Uta-jima’s toil and determination and ambition and strength. […] The uncanny accuracy of his weather predictions, his matchless experience in the matters of fishing and navigation, and the great pride he took in knowing all the history and traditions of the island were often offset by his uncompromising stubbornness, his ludicrous pretensions, and his pugnacity…

Related Characters: Shinji’s Mother, Terukichi Miyata
Page Number: 106
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 12 Quotes

Shinji’s mother hesitated a moment as she was about to enter the house. Just the fact that she had come calling at the Miyata house, where she was not on intimate terms, would be enough to set the villagers’ tongues to wagging.

Related Characters: Shinji’s Mother, Terukichi Miyata
Page Number: 126
Explanation and Analysis:

Double suicide then? Even on this island there had been lovers who took that solution. But the boy’s good sense repudiated the thought, and he told himself that those others had been selfish persons who thought only of themselves. Never once had he thought about such a thing as dying; and, above all, there was his family to support.

Related Characters: Shinji Kubo, Hatsue Miyata, Shinji’s Mother
Page Number: 126
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 13 Quotes

Hatsue got to her feet in silence and went around the rock to receive her prize. And the prize she returned with was the brown, middle-aged handbag, which she pressed into the hands of Shinji’s mother.

The mother's cheeks flushed red with delight.

“But...why?...”

“Because I’ve always wanted to apologize ever since my father spoke so rudely to Auntie that day.” […]

The mother's simple, straightforward heart had immediately understood the modesty and respect behind the girl’s gesture. Hatsue smiled, and Shinji's mother told herself how wise her son had been in his choice of a bride.

Related Characters: Hatsue Miyata (speaker), Shinji’s Mother (speaker), Shinji Kubo
Related Symbols: Pearl Diving
Page Number: 146
Explanation and Analysis: