The chasm of differences between the male protagonists of The Sound of Waves and Romeo and Juliet, Shinji and Romeo respectably, is quite a wide one. Romeo is seventeen years of age at the beginning of his adventure and likewise, Shinji is around the same age: eighteen years old. Instilled in both young men is the sense of recklessness and determination. In Act II, Romeo breaks into Juliet’s garden since “For stony limits cannot hold love out” (2.2.72) despite it being his enemy’s territory and Juliet’s warning that “If they do see thee, then they will murder thee!” (2.2.75). Likewise, Shinji is equally as bold when he claims that to meet Hatsue, there is “Nothing for him to do but to wait until the streets were empty and then prowl about the neighborhood of Hatsue’s house” (page fifty). Shinji like Romeo is the one who has to find a way to meet his love and the two teenagers are so desperate that they throw caution to the wind by going to see her at night time despite the very good chances of failure. However, it seems that the similarities end there. Although appearance wise they may be the same, but underneath the exoskeleton, their personalities and home situations differ drastically. Upon meeting Juliet at Lord Capulet’s party, Romeo immediately and without hesitation engages Juliet in conversation and within a very short period of time, their friendship blossoms into a premature love. In fact, Romeo’s first words to Juliet show his boldness and confidence (“If I profane with my unworthiest hand/This holy shrine, the gentle sin is this:/My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand/To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss” 1.1.104-107). However, on the island of Uta-Jima, Shinji approaches Hatsue in a vastly different way. In fact, the first time they lay eyes on each other, Shinji is embarrassed. On page ten, the author reveals Shinji as the opposite of Romeo when Shinji “realized how rude his inspection had been. The thought filled his cheeks with shame”. Shinji seems submissive. He does not say much but only talks when spoken to. He always does his chores without complaint. He does not moan. Often, his mother cooks fish and “they often found their teeth chewing on sand and grit as well as fish” (page eleven) but Shinji does not whine about it. The reader can see that Shinji is rather embarrassed to show others his true intentions from the passage on page eleven: “Shinji waited...
