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Hatsue Miyata
Yasuo Kawamoto is the brash, braggadocious, and entitled president of Uta-jima’s Young Men’s Association. A member of a relatively wealthy and powerful family on the island, Yasuo talks endlessly of his sexual exploits and banal accomplishments, yet he has never known a day of hard work in his life. He adorns himself in fine clothes and watches, yet he is completely disconnected from the natural life that surrounds the island. Yasuo is the perfect antagonist because he believes that his class and his wealth make him better—and more deserving—than those around him, even as he ignores the moral imperatives to be selfless and to learn from and work with nature. Instead, Yasuo is promiscuous, self-serving, and easily drawn into maelstroms of gossip and rumor. He leaves the island at every chance he gets, and while he claims to care for Hatsue, he only wants her because of her money and her social clout. When he attempts to rape Hatsue, believing a rumor about her having slept with Shinji, he is attempting to punish her and exert dominance over her—but a swarm of hornets begins stinging him, illustrating the fact that his failure to learn the lessons of nature and respect those he purports to care for have made him disconnected not just from the world around him but from himself. When Terukichi Miyata secretly conducts an experiment and sends both Shinji and Yasuo out on his lumber freighter, hoping to see which young man will be the best match for Hatsue, Yasuo cowers on deck in the midst of a deadly typhoon while Shinji risks life and limb for the good of the crew. Yasuo’s inability to work with nature or to stand up for what is right ultimately condemns him—Terukichi chooses to adopt Shinji into his family and marry him to Hatsue, leaving Yasuo alone and isolated.
Yasuo Kawamoto Quotes in The Sound of Waves
The The Sound of Waves quotes below are all either spoken by Yasuo Kawamoto or refer to Yasuo Kawamoto. 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:
).
Chapter 9
Quotes
All the time the luminous watch of which Yasuo was so proud, strapped above the hand with which he was holding onto the branch of the beech tree, was giving off its phosphorescent glow, faintly but distinctly ticking away the seconds. This aroused a swarm of hornets in the nest fastened to this same branch and greatly excited their curiosity.
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After a moment Yasuo glanced back and saw that Hatsue had come down from the grove without his knowing it and was following along about two yards behind him. She did not so much as smile. When she saw him stop walking, she stopped too, and when he started on down the steps again, she started too.
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Chapter 11
Quotes
“I know exactly what you two are thinking. You’re planning to give Yasuo a beating. But you listen to me—that won't do a bit of good. A fool’s a fool, so just leave him alone. Guess it’s hard for Shinji, but patience is the main thing. That’s what it takes to catch a fish.”
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Chapter 14
Quotes
“Which one of you fellows is going to take this lifeline over there and tie it to that buoy?”
The roaring of the wind covered the youths’ silence.
“Don't any of you have any guts?” the captain shouted again.
Yasuo’s lips quivered. He pulled his neck down into his shoulders.
Then Shinji shouted out in a cheerful voice, and as he did so the white flash of his teeth shone through the blackness to prove that he was smiling.
“I’ll do it,” he shouted clearly.
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Yasuo Kawamoto Quotes in The Sound of Waves
The The Sound of Waves quotes below are all either spoken by Yasuo Kawamoto or refer to Yasuo Kawamoto. 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:
).
Chapter 9
Quotes
All the time the luminous watch of which Yasuo was so proud, strapped above the hand with which he was holding onto the branch of the beech tree, was giving off its phosphorescent glow, faintly but distinctly ticking away the seconds. This aroused a swarm of hornets in the nest fastened to this same branch and greatly excited their curiosity.
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
After a moment Yasuo glanced back and saw that Hatsue had come down from the grove without his knowing it and was following along about two yards behind him. She did not so much as smile. When she saw him stop walking, she stopped too, and when he started on down the steps again, she started too.
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Chapter 11
Quotes
“I know exactly what you two are thinking. You’re planning to give Yasuo a beating. But you listen to me—that won't do a bit of good. A fool’s a fool, so just leave him alone. Guess it’s hard for Shinji, but patience is the main thing. That’s what it takes to catch a fish.”
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Chapter 14
Quotes
“Which one of you fellows is going to take this lifeline over there and tie it to that buoy?”
The roaring of the wind covered the youths’ silence.
“Don't any of you have any guts?” the captain shouted again.
Yasuo’s lips quivered. He pulled his neck down into his shoulders.
Then Shinji shouted out in a cheerful voice, and as he did so the white flash of his teeth shone through the blackness to prove that he was smiling.
“I’ll do it,” he shouted clearly.
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