Final Thought on Globalization

     Today, we all live in the floating world because of globalization.  We are now “a citizen of the floating world” (Burton 131).  This floating world shows me so many things that I have never seen, such as unique cultures, unique foods, and so on.  So, we can make so many choices if we really want because the world is diverse, and there are so many types of products and cultures.  However, each culture has different sense of value.  Therefore, accepting different sense of value is very difficult because each person believes one’s sense of value strongly, and some people do not or do not want to know what other cultures are like. According to Burton, “we like to believe that the choices we make in life can afford us a sense of dignity and honor” (Burton 131). Therefore, I believe that acquiring different sense of value is very hard because we totally have to shift the way of think from our traditional way to new way.  Then, one can know about one’s own culture more deeply.  According to Burton, “one way to increase respect for language is to be open to foreign languages: it helps to double back on an understanding of one’s own language, its grammatical constructions, its vocabulary, and its idiosyncrasies” (Burton 132). It is good to know not one but two or more cultures because you can compare as a binary, such as American and Japanese culture.  Finally, you will know what your culture is. 
 

     When I moved to the United States at first, I could not accept America’s value for a long time.  Honestly, I did not like American foods, and did not know about American culture so much.  In the United States, I used to live with Japanese people who have same sense of value.  So, I did not experience American culture so much even I hung out with American people sometime.  After I lived with American roommates to experience real American life, my sense of value has changed.  So, I can see the world differently.  However, the first few months were painful to live with American people because I could not communicate with them well.  And, if I could not understand what they said with, they usually ignored me, so I could not join conversation.  Actually, my capability to speak English at that time did not stand well to the native speakers especially in groups which consist of multiple people.  However, after that, I got used to live with American people.  Then, I am enjoying living in the United States.  My American friends told me so many things which I could not know in Japan.  Finally, American culture became so natural for me. I have learned that I should get used to culture to be comfortable if I want to know about the culture.  Therefore, learning the culture that you do not know is very difficult.  However, after I acquired the sense of America, I should make good balance between Japanese and American values.  Then, I am able to think new way to use those sense of values. 
 

     Kazuo Ishiguro, who is the author of An Artist of the Floating World, is a one of the citizen of the floating world.  He has two faces, and is the person who has experienced two cultures, British and Japanese.  He moved to the United Kingdom when he was five years old.  After that, he acquired citizenship of Britain.  He recalled his childhood, and wrote An Artist of the Floating World.  He created amazing character who is Masuji Ono.  Ono is the guy who is bound to a past glory and mistake.  Therefore, Ono has the extreme characteristics of fixed idea.  “Naturally, I did not allow the young man’s words to upset me unduly” (Ishiguro 114).  Because Ishiguro knows two cultures, I think that Ishiguro could create the character Masuji Ono.  Ono was floating between old and new sense of value.  I think that this dilemma is what all people who lives in the floating world have it.   

     Therefore, Ishiguro used the binary dilemma between “old value” and “new value” to describe Masuji Ono.  Obviously, Ono does not have a good balance between those.  That proportion changes depending on the place where to live and age of the world.  I bet Ishiguro wants us to know that binary dilemma needs optimal proportion, and one should be flexible about shifting one’s position. 

     Also, Salman Rushdie, who is the author of East, West, is another citizen of the floating world.  He also perceives two different values, Indian and British.  In 1989, “the Salman Rushdie affair” (Burton 132) has happened.  He received the death sentence by Ruhollah Khomeini who was the paramount leader in Iran until Khomeini died in 1989.  The death sentence is called “Fatwa” in Islam.  Therefore, Rushdie has to hide himself against Islam. 

     During the fatwa, Rushdie wrote the book, East, West.  The fundamental component of this book is binary way to think.  Rushdie described two worlds, East and West.  I wonder that why Rushdie named the book East, West instead of East and West.  In my opinion, he wanted the book to have more contrast between two opposite values.  Generally, East people are more comfortable in East; on the other hand, West people are more comfortable in West.  And Rushdie also has acquired two different values in his journey of life, so, he knows how to deal with culture that he does not know.  As I mentioned earlier, you have to get used to the situation to know the situation.  Then, you can deal with the situation. 

     In conclusion, there are so many binary dilemmas in the floating world, such as fantasy and reality, madness and sanity, fiction and truth, disturbance and harmony, iconoclasm and iconography, satire and tragedy, East and West, and so on.  If we want to deal with the binaries, have to know them first.  After that, you should experience the binaries to get used to and to be familiar.  Then, you can compare two opposite or different values to know those binaries more deeply.  And, you can find the optimal balance or proportion between two.  Finally, you can escape the binary dilemma, such as “love it or leave it”, to move beyond the binary trap.  Today, we live in the floating world.  I bet that we need this kind of sense to deal with globalization era.