The Bonfire- Kunikida Doppo

The clear difference between the young boys' and the old man's reaction toward the fire can be attained from their differences in experience, age, and situation. The boys were having fun as they made the fire. They were lighthearted in their play as they "danced wildly and clapped and sang." (p. 33) Even though the beach is dark and lonely, the group of boys creates a playful atmosphere. Their disappearance from the scene is also a lively one, as they "clapped and shouted with joy" and ran back home. (p.33) This lively scene emphasizes the quietness and the darkness of the beach that comes afterward as the old man walks in. There is a sharp contrast between the casual playfulness portrayed by the boys and the reflective quietness given off by the old man. The man walks all by himself to the fire and is overcome by quiet excitement and thankfulness. He is aged and reflective, as he reminisces about his past saying that he hasn't seen a fire as beautiful as this in ten years, and thinks about "sons and grandsons long unseen." He says, "This fire is one of sorrow. No, no. Past is past" and it's clear that he's lived through some life experience that made him more mature and reflective than he was before. (p.34) The contrast is also exemplified by the boys entering as a group of 7 to 8 people and the lonely man walking in. The old man seems considerably more mature in character than the innocent boys. The same fire in the same beach had given off an extremely different meaning because of the difference in character. 

Discussion Question: The story asks, "Who was he, this old man, and where was he from? Where was he bound for?" These are my questions. Doppo doesn't answer them in the story. Who is this man?