The Grasshopper and the Bell-Cricket

The grasshopper and the bell cricket act as foils to each other. While similar in appearance, their sounds and spiritual meanings are vastly different. The grasshopper is a common insect whose trill is heard everywhere. The bell cricket is considered a rarity, with the ability to create a unique, special sound beloved in Japan for its gentleness and clarity and regarded as a symbol of the autumn season. Fujio and Kiyoko also act as foils. While they both initially appear as children taking part in the insect hunt, an act of childhood innocence, their illuminated names on each other’s bodies suggest that each represents deeper meanings of sexual awakening and romance.

“The Grasshopper and the Bell Cricket” is an allegory, in which abstract ideas are given form through characters and objects. At the surface, it is a sweet story of children playing together outside, searching for insects. Yet, as the reader follows the tone of the narrator’s voice, full of enthusiasm at first and later of regret, it becomes clear that the events of this story symbolize universal ideas about the search for originality and authenticity and about the tendency of adult life to dull these innate drives.