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conversations others, reaction, direct comment, thought, and mannerism. Shimamura’s characterization can be analyzed through his personal description,
he as seen by other characters, his speech, his reactions, his thoughts, and also his manner.
4.1.1 The Characterization of Shimamura 4.1.1.1 Good-looking
Shimamura is a good-looking man. It can be seen from the explanation of the blind massager who came to give massage to Shimamura, who said that
Shimamura is an ideal man who has proportional body. Although she is blind, but she can feel how soft and nice Shimamura is, and she knews that Shimamura
don’t drink 59. Komako also said that Shimamura is also a neat man. He didn’t grow
mustache and always shaves himself nice and blue, his face also round and plump. He also has white skin. The way he cleans himself is representing from which
class he comes from. Shimamura also said about himself that he is sweet and gentle, adding Komako’s words about him 113.
4.1.1.2 Wealthy
Shimamura comes from a wealthy family. It can be seen from the statement in the novel that he comes from a merchant family in Tokyo. He had
grown up in the merchant’s section of Tokyo. He has no problems in financial
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although he is on vacation, because his family sends money to him by telegraphed the money from Tokyo to him 29.
His hobby of collecting ballet posters from abroad is also representation of his class. Shimamura’s class and wealth also can be known from his mannerism
that he is visiting the heads of various dance schools and made friends with rising figures in the dance world 24. It can be concluded that Shimamura comes from
upper class society which is usually prosperous and wealthy. According to Japanese tradition, wealthy man in Japan usually spent their
holiday in hot-spring, seldom goes to a hot spring for his health, and usually his wife is not with him. Edward G. Seidensticker in the introduction of the novel said
that the special delights of the hot spring are for un-accompanied gentleman, and no prosperous hotspring is without its geisha and its compliant hotel maids vi.
In the story, the inn where Shimamura stay during his trips to the snow country is a good inn because it provides maids and also geisha. And man with lot of money,
or is wealthy, will choose good inn rather than ordinary inn. We can say that Shimamura is a man who is wealthy that he chooses a good inn to stay during his
trips to the Snow Country. From his mannerism, it also known that he is a wealthy man who will un-
doubtfully spend his money for his own enjoyments. He was translating French treatises and meant to bring out in small luxury edition at his own expense 131,
which is believed that it will cost a lot. But for Shimamura, spending his money for the sake of his interest on Western ballet, seems not become a big problem for
him.
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4.1.1.3 Dilettante
