As humans, we are faced with problems and dilemmas daily, and must find a solution to resolve these problems. In the short story, He-y, Come on Out! by Shinichi Hoshi, the effects of a decision that one makes are emphasized. Yes, the author does use the setting of the story to convey the big idea effectively. By examining human nature to always be better, and not caring about long term effects, and listening to the advice that other people give, one can see that the setting is used to effectively convey the big idea.
Humans have always strived to be bigger, better and more powerful; it is in human nature. By earning more money, and expanding ones business, this human nature can be satisfied. On line 16 on page 154, We’ve got a fabulously deep hole! Scientist say it’s at least five thousand meter deep! Perfect for the disposal of such things as waste from nuclear reactors. ‘ The hole that had mysteriously appeared under the shrine in a village seemed to have no end to it. The people of the village decided to use the supernatural power of the hole to their benefit.
Scientists were called to come and analyze the hole, and put in into a scientific perspective. They concluded that the hole must be filled. One man, a concessionaire, then bargained with the village mayor, saying that he would rebuild the destroyed shrine closer to the village, in exchange for the hole. This agreement was the start of the hole-filling company. The concessionaire wanted to be more powerful, and by using the hole to start a business, he was gaining more power and strength. The concessionaire was not the only one who benefited from this company.
As the hole gained more popularity and money, the village situated near the hole also started to develop. In line 21 page 155, it is stated ‘Aiming for the heavens, new buildings went on being constructed one after the other. ‘ The quote can be taken quite literally. What was once a quite village with a shrine now consisted of skyscrapers and other tall buildings, all being constructed relatively quickly. It can also be seen that with the construction of skyscrapers, the village was ‘aiming for the heavens’.
The hole had brought significant development to the village and all because of one man’s choice to create the holefilling company. Nuclear power plants also got in on the deal, bringing in more money, while assuring the people that there was no harm. Instead of investigating in more depth what the hole was capable of, the decision was made quite quickly to make profit out of it. This highlights human desire of more wealth and power, and how they can affect choices made. The setting of a poor village and a profiting business put emphasis on this point.
When making a decision, one does not put into much consideration about the long-term effects that can result because of this choice. In the story, the scientists who were testing the hole came up with the conclusion, on line 35 of page 153, stating ‘(it is) safer to get rid of something one didn’t understand. ‘ The hole was considered by the villagers to be a natural phenomenon. The professionals, the scientists, were called to analyze it. Their word was truth, and so it is the conclusion that the scientists stated was the ignition to the holefilling company.
Of course, it can be seen that the scientists were not able to comprehend what the long term effects of filling the hole would lead to. In the end, it can be predicted that this choice they made was devastating. However, it only took one statement from people of higher respect to trigger a domino effect. In truth, the scientist has only said to fill in the hole to hide the fact that he could not comprehend it. The use of characters like this really help convey the message of the big idea in this story, which is we must know the outcome, both benefits and consequences, of our actions.
At the peak of the hole-filling company, everyone was disposing of their junk via the hole. It was said, in line 7 on page 155, ‘Everyone disliked thinking about the eventual consequences. ‘ This line once more highlights a trait in human nature. When there is no apparent reaction or consequence from doing something, we automatically think that there is no reaction or consequence. At the beginning, if there had been some sort of reaction from the shouting of the words ‘hey come on out the story would have been extremely different.
All the people who used the hole to get rid of their junk, would have found it easy to dismiss the thought of the eventual consequences, since the hole had never changed physically during its time as a garbage dump. This goes to show that when making decisions, one must consider both long and short term effects, since they can either benefit or wreak havoc. Advice is indeed a key part in decision making. Advice in the story is portrayed by the villagers who realized that their beloved shrine was wrecked by the tsunami.
As said by one of the villagers after they discovered the hole, on page 153, line 7 ‘Shouldn’t we build the shrine up just as it was, over the hole? ‘. While most of the village was curious about the appearance of the hole, this particular villager noticed that there was a connection with the shrine, and realized that this thing may be holy or sacred. He knew that they should not play around with it, and so implied that they should rebuild the shrine in the exact spot, and restore things back to normal before anything bad happened.
If only the villager had taken him seriously; then there may have been a different outcome. It is also known that elders have more knowledge, and so one of these elders scolded a younger man for playing about with this unknown hole as seen in line 1, pg 153 “You might bring down a curse on us. Lay off,” warned an old man. ‘. Similarly, the old man was unconsciously aware that there was power behind the hole, and it was a thing that shouldn’t be messed with. Even after saying this though, the young man still threw a pebble into the hole. This sort of disregard is one that affects decision making.
If only the villagers as a whole were able to come to a decision, then a better choice would have been made. The advice that people give should be taken more seriously as demonstrated in the story. The author does convey the big ideas of the story effectively using the settings. By analyzing the desire for power, the inconsiderations of future effects, and the opinions of others, it can be seen that the big idea is conveyed. One must know the outcome of each action, whether it be beneficial or harmful. This moral is beautifully portrayed in this short story.
