Although Yōzō claims that he is devoid of emotions early in the novel, underlying his dark demeanour is a strong yearning for acceptance. Yet 'No Longer Human' presents one of the most genuine portrayals of a human being. Given that shame roots the self-evaluation that one has not met expectations, it's fair to say that the protagonist does not consider himself human because he considers social integration vital to the human identity. His bleak outlook is clear in the novel’s opening line: “mine has been a life of much shame”.
For Yōzō, his inability to be part of that society disqualifies him from being human.
By being in a community, we have the ability to communicate and cultivate art, religions, cultures, and thought. It didn't occur to me until reading this novella the importance of society to the human identity. Throughout the novel, he laments that he is disqualified from being human because of his lifelong alienation and desensitisation. What left me particularly heartbroken was the protagonist’s misconception of what it means to be human. There is no light throughout Yōzō’s journey. The novel ends on a rather bleak note as the protagonist is confined to a psychiatric hospital, spending the restof his life in complete isolation. He eventually falls to his demise as he departs his prestigious upbringing and drowns in smoking, drug abuse, and harlotry while becoming obsessed with the idea of suicide. Yōzō attempts to forge genuine relationships, all which end with no avail for him. The semi-autobiography follows the life of a man named Yōzō, who deems himself disqualified of being human having felt alienation since childhood.
Although harmony in society is kept through the enforcement of rules, the expectation to meet these norms is the root of struggle for many and is also the topic of Osamu Dazai’s 1948 'No Longer Human'. Whether it be a small tribe or an expanding metropolis, humans have always formed societies. “Man is by nature a social animal.” - Aristotleīeing part of a society is a major part of the human identity.
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