Natsume Soseki's Kokoro and Freud

Kokoro was published in 1914, two years before Natsume Soseki's death. Japan up to 1868 had been on the extreme of feudal and isolationist. It was only when Mathew Perry's black ships invaded Japan in 1853 that the Meji period of industrialization was born. Throughout Soseki's writings the theme of Japans changing society is very prevalent. Soseki himself had been through major trauma in his childhood which coincides with Freud's findings of childhood trauma. Soseki was adapted by a childless couple and 9 years later when they divorced his parents begrudgingly took him back. This theme of family and the need to be accepted is one of driving concepts for Kokoro as exemplified by the young narrators need for sensei's approval.

The first quote in the book I would like to tackle is this "It's a step in the right direction of love. You had the impulse to find someone of the same sex as the first step toward embracing someone of the opposite sex." (27). This is a quote from Sensei and is the first time Sensei speaks deeply to our narrator about him. Freud describes love in many different ways but postulates that narcissism plays a key role. narcissism requires a large ego instinct as well as a love instinct. This fusion is what Freud describes as the libido in some sense. There is also two different types of love. there is the ego instinct which makes itself the love object, and object instinct, in which case you seek satisfaction from an object.
When Sensei says the first step to love is through him, it may not directly be implying homoerotic undertones. Instead it may be this young narrators first step in shedding his ego. I think what Sensei is implying, is that to love someone, a person needs to stop being so narcissistic. This can be shown in the way sensei toys with the narrators emotions: occasionally Sensei will give him his full attention and show him love only a father could. But, many times  the narrator is vastly disappointed with Sensei's responses to his accomplishments. For example, When the narrator graduates from university, he describes Sensei's congratulations as contrived and forced, thoroughly disappointing him.
The second subject is of course the Totem and Taboo father figure. Sensei seems to be a very suspicious man. Although the narrator clearly longs for him to be a new father figure. As his own father is a country bumpkin type in his eyes and is dying from kidney failure. But, sensei tries at all times not to get too close. He reasons that "The memory of having someone at your feel will later make you want to trample him underfoot."(30). This is a direct correlation to the original sin in totem and taboo. Where the sons of the patriarchal father kill him in order to gain power. But, in return the father becomes an almighty figure, gaining more power in death than in life.  Sensei has been betrayed by family as well after his fathers death, and his inheritance was on the line. Now Sensei is pushing the narrator away in order to preserve his own line and life.

Lastly the concept of repulsion is brought up: "rather than feeling attracted to her, I would be seized by a strange repulsion"(37) is what the narrator says when he compares his fantasies to real women. this could be a direct correlation to childhood trauma and the Oedipus complex. I insinuate this because the narrator does not feel this way when he is in contact with sensei's wife. If the narrator correlates Sensei as a father figure, than he must see his wife as a mother figure. Therefore it would not be unusual that he feel safe and in some way attracted to her.