The protagonist believes that seeing a harvester of human fertilizer at work in tight pants was an important moment in his life and is disappointed to find out that a picture of an armored knight is really Joan of Arc.
This work ends after the protagonist becomes agitated and knocks over a vase of water at a restaurant while catching sight of a gangster eating nearby. During his childhood, that character passes out and is presumed dead on a monthly basis, and comes back to life by wetting himself. The protagonist believes that seeing a harvester of human fertilizer at work in tight pants was an important moment in his life and is disappointed to find out that a picture of an armored knight is really Joan of Arc. This novel ends with the final breakup between a man who used to dress up as Cleopatra and the perceptive Sonoko, who understands why the narrator rarely kisses her. After faking an illness to avoid the draft, the protagonist hopes to die in an American air raid, ending the crisis which began when he masturbated to a painting by Guido Reni of the martyrdom of Saint Sebastian and realized that he was in love with the tough schoolmate Omi. For 10 points, name this mostly autobiographical novel about Kochan, a closet homosexual in upper-class Japan, written by Yukio Mishima.
This work ends after the protagonist becomes agitated and knocks over a vase of water at a restaurant while catching sight of a gangster eating nearby.
{Confessions of a Mask} [or {Kamen no kokuhaku}]