On Parole (novel)
Encyclopedia
On Parole is the title of a novel
by Japan
ese author Akira Yoshimura
. The book tells the story of Shiro Kikutani, a man who is serving an indefinite prison
sentence for the murder
of his unfaithful wife. He is granted parole
after fifteen years for good behavior, and after his release he struggles to readjust to a society
he no longer recognizes.
The novel
is written in the third person narrative mode, and is divided into thirteen chapters.
carried out against the man's family home which resulted in the death of his mother. While incarcerated, he works in the prison's print shop, behaves well, and generally keeps to himself. After a span of fifteen years, he is granted parole and moves into a halfway house
. His parole officer, Kiyoura, takes some basic steps to reintroduce Kikutani into society; Kikutani is unaccustomed to his newfound freedom, and has difficulty doing basic things such as going to the bathroom without asking permission or walking normally without marching in the way that he and his fellow prisoners were required to do. Kiyoura finds Kikutani a position working at a chicken farm, and tells him that he must soon find an apartment of his own and leave the halfway-house. Because the chicken farm where he will work is far away from the halfway house in the city, Kikutani is encouraged to find an apartment close to his workplace. Kikutani is hesitant to move too far away from the city and his parole officer because he feels a certain degree of security being close to the halfway house, so he instead finds an apartment that is close by even though this will necessitate a long daily commute to work. Kikutani settles into his new life, and is content to go about his unremarkable daily routine. In particular, he is pleased at having little or no contact with other people apart from his monthly visit to his parole officer. One day, by chance, Kikutani passes a woman in the street who closely resembles his wife. This encounter leads Kikutani to travel back to the scene of his crime, his old home town of Sakura
, late at night so as not to be noticed. He brings some incense
with him to burn at the grave of the old woman who died in the fire, but when he arrives at the cemetery
, he realizes that he feels no remorse for his crimes, and simply leaves. He does not tell his newly assigned parole officer, Takebayashi, of his trip and nothing more comes of the matter. Kikutani forms one, rather distant, friendship with one of his co-workers at the chicken farm, and he also receives a letter from someone who has recognized him as an ex-prisoner, and confesses that he too is a former convict. The two begin a correspondence, but when they decide to meet, the other man loses his nerve and the relationship is abruptly broken off. During one of Kikutani's subsequent parole meetings, Takebayashi, rather surprisingly, raises the prospect of marriage
, and explains that he and his wife know an older woman who they have told about his past and nonetheless is willing to meet him and consider getting married. Kikutani is surprised at the suggestion and mulls over the idea, but is not particularly open to getting remarried. But after Takebayashi dies Kikutani reconsiders because he feels that this is what others want of him. He marries the woman, Toyoko, and the two briefly settle into a contented relationship in Kikutani's apartment. Apparently, however, though Toyoko was told of Kikutan's past, she was not told that he would be on parole for the rest of his life. This realization troubles her, and she begins pushing Kikutani to start openly showing grief for his crimes in the hopes of being granted a pardon
. One day, Kikutani returns home to find that Toyoko had set up two small altars to his victims. He becomes enraged, loses control of himself, and flings Toyoko down the stairs and kills her. In the final scene, Kikutani helplessly walks back to the halfway house, prepared to confess to Kiyoura what he has done.
once for Harcourt
by Stephen Snyder.
; the film differs significantly from the book.
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
by Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese author Akira Yoshimura
Akira Yoshimura
was a prize winning Japanese writer.He was the president of the Japanese writers' union and a PEN member. He published over 20 novels, of which On Parole and Shipwrecks are internationally known and have been translated into several languages...
. The book tells the story of Shiro Kikutani, a man who is serving an indefinite prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
sentence for the murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
of his unfaithful wife. He is granted parole
Parole
Parole may have different meanings depending on the field and judiciary system. All of the meanings originated from the French parole . Following its use in late-resurrected Anglo-French chivalric practice, the term became associated with the release of prisoners based on prisoners giving their...
after fifteen years for good behavior, and after his release he struggles to readjust to a society
Society
A society, or a human society, is a group of people related to each other through persistent relations, or a large social grouping sharing the same geographical or virtual territory, subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations...
he no longer recognizes.
The novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
is written in the third person narrative mode, and is divided into thirteen chapters.
Plot summary
Shiro Kikutani, a teacher, is sent to prison for the murder of his unfaithful wife, the stabbing of her lover, as well as an act of arsonArson
Arson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...
carried out against the man's family home which resulted in the death of his mother. While incarcerated, he works in the prison's print shop, behaves well, and generally keeps to himself. After a span of fifteen years, he is granted parole and moves into a halfway house
Halfway house
The purpose of a halfway house, also called a recovery house or sober house, is generally to allow people to begin the process of reintegration with society, while still providing monitoring and support; this is generally believed to reduce the risk of recidivism or relapse when compared to a...
. His parole officer, Kiyoura, takes some basic steps to reintroduce Kikutani into society; Kikutani is unaccustomed to his newfound freedom, and has difficulty doing basic things such as going to the bathroom without asking permission or walking normally without marching in the way that he and his fellow prisoners were required to do. Kiyoura finds Kikutani a position working at a chicken farm, and tells him that he must soon find an apartment of his own and leave the halfway-house. Because the chicken farm where he will work is far away from the halfway house in the city, Kikutani is encouraged to find an apartment close to his workplace. Kikutani is hesitant to move too far away from the city and his parole officer because he feels a certain degree of security being close to the halfway house, so he instead finds an apartment that is close by even though this will necessitate a long daily commute to work. Kikutani settles into his new life, and is content to go about his unremarkable daily routine. In particular, he is pleased at having little or no contact with other people apart from his monthly visit to his parole officer. One day, by chance, Kikutani passes a woman in the street who closely resembles his wife. This encounter leads Kikutani to travel back to the scene of his crime, his old home town of Sakura
Sakura, Chiba
is a city located in northern Chiba Prefecture, Japan. As of February 2011, the city had an estimated population of 172,176 and a population density of 1660 persons per km². The total area was 103.59 km².-Geography:...
, late at night so as not to be noticed. He brings some incense
Incense
Incense is composed of aromatic biotic materials, which release fragrant smoke when burned. The term "incense" refers to the substance itself, rather than to the odor that it produces. It is used in religious ceremonies, ritual purification, aromatherapy, meditation, for creating a mood, and for...
with him to burn at the grave of the old woman who died in the fire, but when he arrives at the cemetery
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
, he realizes that he feels no remorse for his crimes, and simply leaves. He does not tell his newly assigned parole officer, Takebayashi, of his trip and nothing more comes of the matter. Kikutani forms one, rather distant, friendship with one of his co-workers at the chicken farm, and he also receives a letter from someone who has recognized him as an ex-prisoner, and confesses that he too is a former convict. The two begin a correspondence, but when they decide to meet, the other man loses his nerve and the relationship is abruptly broken off. During one of Kikutani's subsequent parole meetings, Takebayashi, rather surprisingly, raises the prospect of marriage
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
, and explains that he and his wife know an older woman who they have told about his past and nonetheless is willing to meet him and consider getting married. Kikutani is surprised at the suggestion and mulls over the idea, but is not particularly open to getting remarried. But after Takebayashi dies Kikutani reconsiders because he feels that this is what others want of him. He marries the woman, Toyoko, and the two briefly settle into a contented relationship in Kikutani's apartment. Apparently, however, though Toyoko was told of Kikutan's past, she was not told that he would be on parole for the rest of his life. This realization troubles her, and she begins pushing Kikutani to start openly showing grief for his crimes in the hopes of being granted a pardon
Pardon
Clemency means the forgiveness of a crime or the cancellation of the penalty associated with it. It is a general concept that encompasses several related procedures: pardoning, commutation, remission and reprieves...
. One day, Kikutani returns home to find that Toyoko had set up two small altars to his victims. He becomes enraged, loses control of himself, and flings Toyoko down the stairs and kills her. In the final scene, Kikutani helplessly walks back to the halfway house, prepared to confess to Kiyoura what he has done.
English translations
On Parole has been translated into EnglishEnglish language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
once for Harcourt
Harcourt (publisher)
Harcourt was a United States publishing firm with a long history of publishing fiction and nonfiction for children and adults. The company was based in San Diego, California, with an Editorial / Sales / Marketing / Rights offices in New York City and Orlando, Florida.In 2007, the U.S...
by Stephen Snyder.
Film adaptations
On Parole is the basis for the 1997 film The Eel directed by Shohei ImamuraShohei Imamura
was a Japanese film director. Imamura was the first Japanese director to win two Palme d'Or awards.His eldest son Daisuke Tengan is also a script writer and film director, and worked on the screenplays to Imamura's filmsThe Eel , Dr...
; the film differs significantly from the book.