Course Hero. (2020, February 7). Kokoro Study Guide. In Course Hero. Retrieved February 20, 2020, from https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Kokoro/
In text
(Course Hero, 2020)
Chicago
Bibliography
Course Hero. "Kokoro Study Guide." February 7, 2020. Accessed February 20, 2020. https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Kokoro/.
Footnote
Course Hero, "Kokoro Study Guide," February 7, 2020, accessed February 20, 2020, https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Kokoro/.
Overview
Author
Natsume Sōseki
Year Published
1914
Type
Novel
Genre
Fiction
Perspective and Narrator
The first two parts of Kokoro are narrated by an unnamed narrator who befriends Sensei, the protagonist. Sensei narrates the final part of the novel in the form of a letter to the narrator.
Tense
Kokoro is written in the past tense.
About the Title
The Japanese word kokoro can be translated as "heart." However, it is also sometimes used to refer to the mind, or to feeling. In Japanese the concepts of mind and heart are closely interwoven. Kokoro does not mean the physical heart, but instead the heart or mind that feels, expresses, and thinks. Kokoro can also be translated, more generally, as "the heart of things." Sōseki's novel investigates mysteries at the heart of the human condition, including love, duty, and loneliness.
This study guide for Natsume Sōseki's Kokoro offers summary and analysis on themes, symbols, and other literary devices found in the text. Explore Course Hero's library of literature materials, including documents and Q&A pairs.
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