Summer and Winter

"It was the spring of hope, the winter of despair"  (A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens)

In The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea, the two different parts are titled Summer and Winter, each representing not only the activities taking place, but also the characters' psyches and relationships. For Noboru, summer was quite literally a time of hope, where he hopes to experience joy and happiness. He learns about ships and the life of a sailor, and even creates an indestructible order. However, as time passes by, he feels more anger accumulate within him, as Ryuji breaks this circle of life.

I truly believe that one's surroundings and environment do influence one's psyche. I feel that in the summertime, I do feel a lot happier, or actually, energetic. In the winter, when I am enclosed inside, without sunlight and merely darkness, I do feel a lot gloomier, without energy. Although I realize that winter is just as beautiful, summer air just has a different feel, a relaxed feel. But, I guess that's life. You have to feel sadness to know what happiness is.