Fate
“So it's our fate, is it, to have Kurimoto managing us,” said Kikuji. “You and I do not seem to have the same view of that fate.” There is father-son and mother-daughter influence in this novel. The direction of Kikuji’s life is already predetermined mainly by his father’s faults in the past. Actually, he represents his deceased father and even his morbid fantasies. He has to deal with women that influenced his father’s life as well. Kikuji tries to get rid of Chikako, but he doesn’t succeed. Then he falls in love with Mrs. Ota, and she allows him to be his father in the nighttime of their lovemaking. After Mrs. Ota’s death, Kikuji transfers his feelings to her daughter, Fumiko. But Fumiko feels restrained by the spirit of her mother. Finally, she commits suicide and ends up like Mrs. Ota.
Family values
Japan has a "generalized tendency to glorify the heritage left by [the[ ancestors," in Kawabata's own words. The equipment which is used in the novel is of considerable importance. The bowls are significant symbols of family value and heritage. That’s why the author pays great attention to the tea vessels in his novel and describes them in details. Kikuji and Fumiko receive their antique tea bowls from their parents as such precious artifacts are transferred from one generation to another. Such a tradition makes the ties between parents and their children stronger.
The decay of national traditions
Tea Ceremony is the heart of the novel as it is the Japanese national treasure. The main principles of Japanese Tea Ceremony are harmony, respect, purity and tranquility. They help the person to find a spiritual refreshment and harmony with the universe. In the author’s opinion, Tea Ceremony is like a glue which keeps life and death, corruption and purity, nature and aesthetics together. But the main thing is that Kawabata shows us the eclipse of the tradition as it loses its primary and pristine purpose. It becomes disgraced and is used as a mask for hiding terrible deeds. Chikako uses it as a tool for interfering in other people’s relationships. Thus the main principles of the ceremony are smashed.
