The Dialectical Coexistence of Beauty and Violence in The Temple of the Golden Pavilion
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70088/v9eb0139Keywords:
aesthetics, mishima, beauty, destruction, japanese literature, buddhismAbstract
Set against the turbulent Shōwa era, The Temple of the Golden Pavilion constructs a spiritual landscape intertwined with beauty and destruction through Mizoguchi's decisive act of burning down Kinkaku-ji. As the embodied symbol of traditional Japanese aesthetics, the absolute beauty of the Golden Pavilion serves both as a spiritual haven for Mizoguchi and a barrier cutting him off from the real world. Centering on the dialectical relationship between beauty and destructive action, this paper conducts analysis from three dimensions: the aesthetic symbolic system of the Golden Pavilion, the psychological logic behind Mizoguchi's extreme conduct, and the epochal metaphor embedded in the destruction of beauty. It reveals the profound connotation that beauty breeds its own negation, while destruction dissolves and reconstructs beauty in a perpetual cycle. This study further explores Yukio Mishima's philosophical reflections on the predicament of traditional aesthetics amid modern society. By examining the interplay between aesthetic idealism and existential crisis, the paper illuminates how Mishima articulates the tension between preservation and annihilation as fundamental forces shaping cultural identity. The analysis demonstrates that the novel transcends mere narrative to become a meditation on the paradoxical nature of beauty, which simultaneously inspires devotion and provokes its own undoing. Through this dialectical lens, Mishima's work emerges as a profound commentary on the fate of traditional values in an era of rapid modernization and cultural transformation.References
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