3. Smart
In the explanation before, the writer said that Coldmoon is a former student of Mr. Sneaze. Now Coldmoon is a fellow scholar of his former teacher. Unlike his
former teacher, Coldmoon shows that he has a deeper wisdom than his former teacher. It is seen when Lancelot Yore, one of the students of Mr. Sneaze suddenly visits him to
ask his teacher if he can save Lancelot from being expelled from school because of making a prank on Goldfield‟s daughter by sending her a love letter. Coldmoon who
visits Mr. Sneaze happens to hear about it and tells his opinion about this case. “Indeed you should. After all, the world is stiff with full-grown men, men with
older and presumably wiser heads, who nevertheless spend all their lives in practical jokes which risk disaster for their fellow men. Would you punish an
idiot schoolboy for signing a love letter when men whose jokes could wreck the world go totally unpenalized? If you expel him from school, you can do no less
than banish them from civilized society.” Soseki,2002: 399 From the quotation above, Coldmoon tries to convince Mr. Sneaze not to expel
Lancelot Yore from his school because of the little joke that he has done. Coldmoon can see that Lancelot already apologizing and regrets for what he has done. Coldmoon
also makes a comparison that the jokes made by Lancelot can still be forgiven because outside there, many people make even harsher jokes that can resulted in disaster for
many other people but those kind of people left without punishment. That is why Coldmoon telling Mr. Sneaze to let go of his student and help him as best he can. From
this observation it can be seen that Coldmoon is a smart person who has seen the
outside world, in which he can say that the world is stiff with men who presumably wiser but spending most of his lives in practical jokes which seems destructive to the
society. It shows that he has enough knowledge to tell whether something is good or bad for the society. I understand that this Coldmoon person was also once a pupil of
my masters and that, after leaving school, he so rose in the world to be far better known than his teacher. Soseki,2002: 21
From the above quotation, the feline narrator observes that Coldmoon was Mr. Sneazes pupil and on top of that Coldmoon was his favorite pupil. The narrator knows
that after Coldmoon graduated from school, Coldmoon rose in this particular world and also known to be better than his former teacher, Mr. Sneaze. It indicates that
Coldmoon is a smart and bright student enough to be recognized by his scholar acquaintances and narrator. Nobody believes that Coldmoon was Mr. Sneazes pupil,
because of their way of thinking are polar opposite of each other. Coldmoon who is now a fellow scholar of Mr. Sneaze,shows that he can achieve abrighter future. Unlike
his former teacher who never achieve something more than as an English schoolteacher. ...With consumate ease he graduated with the best degree on his year
from the highest seat of learning in our land. On leaving the Imperial University, he showed no sign of slackening in effort. ... Soseki,2002: 149
In the above quotation, Mr. Sneaze tells Waverhouse that Coldmoon graduated from Imperial University in which now known as Tokyo University, the most
prestigious university in Japan since Meiji era until now. He graduated with the highest degree possible in his generation. In which it can be seen Mr. Sneaze implies that
Coldmoon is very smart. Even after receiving his bachelor degree, Coldmoon never shows any signs of slacking around because later known that he devotes himself in
studying day and night in order to get a doctorate. Further observation from Mr. Sneaze‟s conversation with Waverhouse about Coldmoon below will give a further
explanation how Mr. Sneaze actually acknowledge his pupil‟s intelligence.
... If I may adapt to Coldmoons case one of my own earlier turns of phrase, I should describe him as a circulating library. He is high-explosive shell, perhaps
only twenty-eight centimeter, but compactly charged with knowledge. ... Soseki,2002: 149
From the quotation above, it can be seen that Mr. Sneaze acknowledges his former student as a very smart one. He acknowledges all effort that Coldmoon made to
achieve the senior degree. He even uses metaphor to describe how smart Coldmoon is. Mr. Sneaze describes him as a circulating library. Circulating library at that time is
similar to public library that we have now. In which in this place people able to borrow books by paying fee because there were no free public libraries at that time. As
mentioned before, this place is a place where people can gain knowledge and certainly Coldmoon was described that way because of his vast knowledge and sometimes his
fellows‟ gains knowledge from him. Mr. Sneaze also describes him as high-explosive shell in which he describes him as only a twenty-eight centimeter. It is not really big
but it is fully charged with knowledge that can detonate when it makes impact on the world of learning. It is implying that Coldmoons will to learn will never cease.
4. Ambitious
In some analysis before it was mentioned how Coldmoon makes his name known by the outside of his society of intellectuals. This makes his name known by
those in power like businessmen. Goldfields as one of those businessmen take interest in Coldmoon and even try to gain more information about him. The reason why they
are interested in Coldmoon then mentioned by Suzuki who was also a student of Mr. Sneaze but he enters the world of businessmen.
So you see, as Ive just explained, the Goldfields arent expecting money or property; what theyd like instead is that Coldmoon should have some status of
his own, and by status they mean the public recognition of qualification that is symbolized in a senior degree. ... Soseki,2002: 139
From the quotation above, it can be observed from Goldfields perspective why they take interest in Coldmoon. The Goldfields realize very well that Coldmoon is not from
a wealthy family and he was grown up in a neighborhood that can considered as poor. Coldmoon does not have any properties or money unlike the Goldfields even after
receives his bachelor degree. The Goldfields knows the fact that Coldmoon started writing thesis for doctorate. The Goldfields who is a family of businessman knows
very well the worth of the scholars of doctorate degree. Since there are many who receives their bachelor degree but not many of them who continue their study to senior
degree. Due to this rarity it can be seen why having doctorate degree can be seen as a prestigious status and Coldmoon is worthed to get that status for his own. Goldfields
seeing it as a chance for them to increase their status if Coldmoon can marry their daughter in case Coldmoon really receive his doctorate.
...Coldmoon started writing his thesis. What about that? Since in his own quaint way Coldmoon has a fairly elevated opinion of himself, I wouldnt have
expected him to engage in such a mundane, tasteless chore as getting a thesis actually written, but it appears that he, too, is tainted with worldly ambition. ...
Soseki,2002: 145-146
In the quotation above, Waverhouse tells Mr. Sneaze that Coldmoon started writing his thesis. In Waverhouses opinion, Coldmoon realizes well his position and has high
opinion upon himself. Waverhouse also does not have any expectation that Coldmoon will waste his time writing thesis to get a senior degree. Waverhouse implying that
Coldmoon is actually quite an ambitious one, trying to get a higher status by receiving senior degree and this is proven when they know that Coldmoon also have an intention
to marry Goldfields daughter. They know that by marrying Goldfields daughter, Coldmoon himself will gain a high status, power and public recognition since
Goldfields is a businessman who also has a power in government. ...In short, my master, Waverhouse, and Coldmoon are all like hermits in a
peaceful reign. Though they adopt a nonchalant attitude, keeping themselves aloof from the crowd, segregated like so many snake-gourds swayed lightly by
the wind, in reality they, too, are shaken by just the same greed and worldly ambition as their fellow men. Soseki,2002: 66
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