The "Outsider" in The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea and Wonderful FoolThe Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea Wonderful Fool Nel draw characters in a In the novel, an author often includes a character who is outside of accepted society. This outsider character is often at a disadvantage. The simple fact that he is unfamiliar with his society tends to create problems for the character to solve. After resolving these issues, the character leaves a lasting effect on at least one other character, both of whom are changed dramatically due to the outsider's influence. In Yukio Mishima's novel The Sailor Who Fell to the Grace of the Sea, the character Ryuji Tsukazaki filled this role. Ryuji is a very experienced sailor who, after starting a life on land, feels awkward and uncomfortable with his surroundings. In fact, throughout the novel, the reader is told about his desire for a life at sea and his favorite song, “I can't give up the sailor's life” (Mishima 17). Ryuji, who "had been driven by a dislike of the land" to become a sailor, finds himself in many uncomfortable positions during his life on land, especially in the winter after his return to Fusako and Noboru (Mishima 15). Ryuji, unable to find camaraderie and acceptance at sea or on land, feeling empty and isolated. As a young man, Ryuji experienced many tragedies while growing up. The death of his father, mother and sister gave him the bitter taste of life on earth. He found it difficult to feel comfortable on land, "his only memories of life on land were of poverty, illness and death, of endless devastation; by becoming a sailor, he had separated himself from the land forever" (.. .... half of sheet ......ture of their company, Takamori and Tomoe finally realized that Gaston, a true “enigma,” had truly turned out to be a “wonderful fool” (Endo 52, 180). novels stands in contrast to his surroundings. Although the plot was different in both novels, some similarities still exist between the two characters. Both had to summon a lot of inner strength to overcome their difficulties, both struggled internally and externally with their plight and, more importantly, both left a lasting impact on the characters involved in the plot. These characters, Gaston Bonaparte and Ryuji Tsukazaki, will surely remain two of the most influential "outsider" characters in modern literature. Works Cited: Mishima, Yukio. (Translated by John Nathan) The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea, New York, Vintage International, 1993.