Conformity vs. Individualism
The central conflict of the story is directly related to Zenchi Naigu's struggle to shorten his nose. Throughout the course of the story, the reader is presented with the nature of his unusually long nose, and the Naigu's multiple desperate attempts to shorten it. Although in the end he achieves his long-waited goal of possessing a shortened, 'normal' nose, his efforts are undermined by the renewed ridicule of his fellow comrades. Zenchi's constant, obsessive efforts to reduce the size of his nose are all done with the aim of wanting to fit in with everyone else; normalcy is his ultimate desire. As a result, the extent to which a person should embrace their uniqueness or adhere to societal standards is the overarching theme in "The Nose".
Vanity
"The Nose" is one of Akutagawa's social commentaries in which vanity is heavily explored throughout the story. The author chooses to focus his ideals of human beauty on a frequently overlooked facial feature: a nose. Due to the story's central conflict pertaining to the protagonist's resentment against his nose, it is evident that his idea of beauty and conformity supersede his religious duties and studies. In fact, on days where events took place at the Ike-no-o temple, Zenzhi Naigu would study the patrons closely to the point where "his eyes took in neither blue robes nor white... the priestly garb he knew so well hardly existed for him". It is worthy to note the irony in his obsession with beauty, especially when he is a prominent religious figure held in widespread regard.
