Illuzory spaces of Mishima Yukio and Matsumoto Toshio

Bibliogr. s. 43-44

The old Greek myth about Narcissus, the character trapped between reality and dream, life and death, during the last centuries became the mirror reflecting the specific of European culture. This article is showing his versatility and examples of the inspiration and reinterpretation of his myth made by the representatives of Japanese Culture: Mishima Yukio and Matsumoto Toshio. The examples of Mishima's novels: "Patriotism" (making own heroic iconography) and "Onnangata" (creation of the perfect feminity) are showing never-ending metamorphosis of Narcissus - Dandy, antithetical figure which is drifting between illusion and no illusions. The movie Bara no sōretsu transfers figures such as Dandy and Oedipus to show the mythologizing of Japanese post-war reality among the leftwinged, gēboi (gay boys) and anarchists. Comparing those pieces proves the thesis, that by using the myths of the West, the specific of Japanese Culture can be highlighted.