Ready Reference Treatise: Kokoro

"Kokoro" by Natsume Soseki was first published in 1914. The novel was originally published as a serial in the Japanese newspaper 'Asahi Shinbun.'

The title "Kokoro" literally means 'heat,' but it can also have many different meanings. It can also be translated as 'feeling' or 'the heart of things.'

The novel describes in great details the transition from the Japanese Meiji society to the modern era. The story is presented through the exploration of the friendship between a young man and an older man he calls 'Sensei' or 'teacher.'

Isolation is the central theme of the novel and it continues to be developed from the preceding works of the author.

The book also deals with the themes of guilt and egoism. The changing times, the changing roles and ideal women, and intergenerational change in values, the role of family, and importance of the self versus the group, the cost of weakness, and identity are some of the major themes in the novel.

Ready Reference Treatise: Kokoro
Copyright
Chapter One: Introduction
Chapter Two: Plot Overview
Chapter Three: Characters
Chapter Four: Complete Summary
Chapter Five: Critical Analysis

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