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The Sound of Waves Study Guide

by Yukio Mishima

The Sound of Waves study guide contains a biography of Yukio Mishima, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

The Sound of Waves is a story of first love and coming of age set in the post-WWII years on the Japanese island of Uta-jima. The protagonist is Shinji, an eighteen-year old young man of great physical strength, courage, kindness, and fresh-faced naiveté. He lives with his mother and younger brother on the island, a small, isolated, and beautiful locale that the modern world has barely encroached upon. Shinji is a fisherman on a ship owned by Jukichi Oyama, the Taihei-maru, and his life's goal is to own his own boat with his brother and fish the waters he knows and loves so well off Uta-jima.

When the novel begins, Shinji returns from a day at sea and notices a girl he has never seen before on the beach. He is immediately entranced by her…

Read the full The Sound of Waves Summary

• The Sound of Waves Summary
• About The Sound of Waves
• Character List
• Glossary of Terms
• Major Themes
• Quotes and Analysis
• Summary and Analysis of Chapter I
• Summary and Analysis of Chapter II
• Summary and Analysis of Chapters III & IV
• Summary and Analysis of Chapter V
• Summary and Analysis of Chapters VI & VII
• Summary and Analysis of Chapter VIII
• Summary and Analysis of Chapter IX
• Summary and Analysis of Chapters X & XI
• Summary and Analysis of Chapter XII
• Summary and Analysis of Chapters XIII & XIV
• Summary and Analysis of Chapters XV & XVI
• Seppuku
• Related Links on The Sound of Waves
• Suggested Essay Questions
• Test Yourself! - Quiz 1
• Test Yourself! - Quiz 2
• Test Yourself! - Quiz 3
• Test Yourself! - Quiz 4
• Test Yourself! - Quiz 5
• Author of ClassicNote and Sources

• The Sound of Waves: Major Themes
• The Sound of Waves: Questions
• The Sound of Waves: Purchase the Novel and Related Material
• Yukio Mishima: Biography