The Nose

I think there is a vanity element to this that must be considered. The Nose" is one of Akutagawa's social commentaries in which vanity is heavily explored throughout the story. The author chooses to focus his ideals of human beauty on a frequently overlooked facial feature: a nose. Due to the story's central conflict pertaining to the protagonist's resentment against his nose, it is evident that his idea of beauty and conformity supersede his religious duties and studies.