"The Nose" is a short story that explores and condemns vanity and religion by extensively satirizing them. The protagonist of the story has a large nose, which hinders his functioning in daily life. He undergoes a procedure to shorten his nose and is initially excited, but soon grows anxious, as people begin mocking him. He realizes that his unhappiness has compounded by the procedure and is told that he would be punished for the sin of mistreating people. However, one day he wakes up to find his old nose back in its place.
"In a Grove" is an account of the death of a man through a variety of perspectives. It is essentially a quest to find identity through modernist techniques. The story gets complicated at each step as a new narrative is added.
"Hell Screen" is another complex short story that explores a myriad of modernist themes. It revolves around Yoshihide, “the greatest painter in the land”. The narrator of the story is a servant. When Yoshihide has to create an image of hell, he physically tortures his apprentices. In a twist of events, his daughter is burned and he then commits suicide.
