No Longer Human
A haunting semi-autobiographical novel exploring alienation, shame, and the struggle to connect with society through the confessions of a man who feels fundamentally disconnected from humanity.
Overview
Ōba Yōzō narrates his life through three notebooks, chronicling his descent from a troubled childhood marked by performance and deception to a fractured adulthood plagued by alcoholism, failed suicide attempts, and institutionalization. He masks his inner emptiness by playing the clown, believing himself incapable of genuine human connection.
Key Themes
- Alienation from self and society — Yōzō sees himself as fundamentally different from other humans, unable to understand their motivations or feel what they feel
- The mask of performance — Survival through constant role-playing, pretending to be what others expect
- Shame as a defining emotion — Not guilt over wrongdoing but shame over one's very existence
- Self-destruction as escape — Alcohol, drugs, and suicide attempts as responses to unbearable consciousness
Notable Aspect
The title "No Longer Human" (人間失格, Ningen Shikkaku) translates literally as "Disqualified as a Human Being." Dazai completed the novel shortly before his own suicide in 1948, lending the work an autobiographical weight that intensifies its emotional impact.