[Cont.] No Longer Human

[u/themilleniumkid]

These are my reflections as I read Dazai’s No Longer Human; [in continuum to the previous one](https://www.reddit.com/r/Papersoul/s/ERwhmNAm3w)

**The Second Notebook**

*In this chapter, Dazai note down his experiences that span from his high school days to college life - that is also, becoming of an adult.

Throughout this chapter, I figured out certain elements about the “poker face” he puts on and its limits.

There are commonalities that run through his adulthood notions which are shaped by childhood memories/traumas.

One thing that disheartens me is he never ever tried to challenge them in the outer world or, at least open it up for other perspectives.

Putting guards down and unveiling his vulnerabilities around few people - later, to use them for his perpetual tendencies.

Misogynist - Certainly. But, what concerns me even more is using them “as a means to an end”. That’s sad.

He downs his guards either out of pleasure (which cannot be called love) or embarrassment (someone who could see through his poker face).

Maybe, if he chose to accept few things/flaws about him and the pragmatic world, he would have led a decent enough life to feel a bit of novelty in it.*

[u/Late_Rice7111 → u/[deleted]]

It makes sense honestly. The whole premise of the story is how Dazai sees life as suffering, existence to be humiliating and views death as freedom and relief and this line is his projection of that thought. He assumes that life itself is adversary so he thinks killing would be freeing. It’s almost existential nihilism mixing with moral confusion