Changing Times versus Changing People

It has been said that while times change, people do not. From my past experiences, and from things that I have learned throughout the years, I have to agree with the previous statement. I feel that the morality of a person almost always rules when it comes to making serious and important decisions.

Different time periods can alter ones thinking in certain situations to an extent. For example, in The Sea and Poison, Nobu Ueda had moved to Manchuria with her new husband. While she was living there, she noticed that her neighbors occasionally hit their maids. While Nobu would not usually hit her maid, soon enough she started to do so. Her morality was influenced in a way by the norms and stigmas of her surroundings and time.

However, different people react differently in different situations. Everyone had free will and the freedom to make their own conscience decisions. When Suguro and Toda were asked if they wanted to take part in

the vivisection’s, both had agreed at first. After taking time to think about what they were actually going to take part in, they started to feel awkward. Suguro for instance was definitely having second thoughts about his decision then later regrets his decision. On his walk to the hospital the day the vivisections were to take place, he contemplated on going back to his boarding room. This is his conscience reminding him of his moral standards. All day before the vivisections, there was nothing for Suguro to do. Suguro and Toda seemed to avoid each other and did not let a word pass between them. When it came time for the “experiment” on the prisoner, Suguro was not able to follow through on his duties involved in the vivisection. Suguro’s morality triumphed besides the fact that “everyone else was doing it.” Toda however was able to take part in the vivisection but was somewhat uneasy about the whole experience. The fact that he helped take someone else’s life did not seem to phase him that much. Throughout the book Toda seemed to be more apathetic to such things than Suguro. Toda has no moral strength. That is just the type of person he is.

The Old Man felt the vivisection would make a contribution to science. However, after the vivisection

takes place, we see the Old Man peering into the operating theater looking troubled. The Old Man feels he was trained to save lives, not take them. In the end all are troubled and destroyed by the vivisection, especially Suguro, but no one reveals their feelings.

In conclusion, the decision in general all depends on the particular person. I personally feel that in the case of the vivisection if the right person were asked, they would have declined. Suguro was not able to participate in the vivisection because of his own personal feelings, however, others were able to. If I was asked to participate in the vivisection I would definitely decline the offer, however I am sure there would be others that are distorted enough to do so.

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