William H. Sewell defines a historical agent as one who is “capable of exerting some degree of control over the social relations in which one is enmeshed, which in turn implies the ability to transform those social relations to some degree” (Loftus 3). In other words, if one wants to become a historical agent, then one must recognize and take control of his/her social situation before being able to transform his/her situation. In doing so, one can achieve subjectivity, or autonomy. Filmmaker Kurosawa Akira, through his portrayal of protagonist Yagihara Yukie in the film No Regrets for Our Youth, exemplifies Sewell’s definition of historical agency, as Yukie learns to exert control over her life and begins to transform her own world. Yukie’s
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Itsuko describes her fiancé, Kimura Kunio, and her final interactions with him before he goes off to war. When Kunio courageously confesses that he believes that the war is wrong to Itsuko, she simply responds with, “If it were me, I would willingly die for the emperor” (Loftus 12). This response is the answer that she has been conditioned to say; expressing any other opinion is considered equivalent to a betrayal of the emperor. However, after the Japanese surrender, and after discovering that Kunio had been reading books on Marxism, Itsuko’s regrets over her final words to Kunio continues to increase. At the time of writing her memoir, Itsuko states, “If I want my own life to have any meaning, all I can do is work to preserve [Kunio’s] words, to keep on repeating them, to keep them alive” (Loftus 16). Despite her regret, Itsuko not only accepts that she has made a mistake, but she also goes even further, choosing to remember and preserve Kunio’s words. By writing them in her memoir, Itsuko shares Kunio’s thoughts with everyone who is willing to read her writing, something that Kunio could not do while he was still alive. By giving Kunio a voice, Itsuko has also gained her
Itsuko describes her fiancé, Kimura Kunio, and her final interactions with him before he goes off to war. When Kunio courageously confesses that he believes that the war is wrong to Itsuko, she simply responds with, “If it were me, I would willingly die for the emperor” (Loftus 12). This response is the answer that she has been conditioned to say; expressing any other opinion is considered equivalent to a betrayal of the emperor. However, after the Japanese surrender, and after discovering that Kunio had been reading books on Marxism, Itsuko’s regrets over her final words to Kunio continues to increase. At the time of writing her memoir, Itsuko states, “If I want my own life to have any meaning, all I can do is work to preserve [Kunio’s] words, to keep on repeating them, to keep them alive” (Loftus 16). Despite her regret, Itsuko not only accepts that she has made a mistake, but she also goes even further, choosing to remember and preserve Kunio’s words. By writing them in her memoir, Itsuko shares Kunio’s thoughts with everyone who is willing to read her writing, something that Kunio could not do while he was still alive. By giving Kunio a voice, Itsuko has also gained her