The Silent Cry

novel by Ōe Kenzaburō

Also known as: “Man’en gannen no futtōbōru”

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Article History

The Silent Cry, novel by Ōe Kenzaburō, published in Japanese in 1967 as Man’en gannen no futtōbōru (literally, “Football in the First Year of Man’en”) and awarded the Tanizaki Prize. The Silent Cry is a nonlinear and difficult work whose subject matter bears little relationship to the events described therein. Most important are questions about personal identity, self-knowledge, and the ability to relate the complete truth.

Set in the 1960s, the primary story is about the relationship between two brothers. The elder, Mitsusaburo, is a reclusive scholar, and the younger, Takashi, is drawn to political activism. They return to their ancestral village, where Takashi attempts to stage a protest against the nouveau riche Korean who is taking over the village. Takashi becomes increasingly violent and eventually murders a young woman. In disgrace he commits suicide.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Kathleen Kuiper.