God in Deep River

God in Deep River

In the book Deep River, by Shusaku Endo, Otsu, a main character, has controversial beliefs for a priest.   Otsu believed that god has many faces, god must exist in concert with all religions, and that god reveals himself in many ways.   Deep River supports Otsu’s beliefs through the stories of many people. Several ways in which his beliefs are supported include the myna that saved Numada’s life, Tsukada’s peace at death, and in Otsu’s own self-sacrifice.

Numada, a famous author, had a special, spiritual relationship with animals. He believed that, “Many years ago, a myna helped save my life.” (Endo 178)   After suffering from a serious illness, during which he talked to the myna every day, he lived and the myna died.   The doctors commented that during the operation his “heart stopped for a time” (83) He was also told by his wife that the myna was dead.   At that time, Numada saw “a myna peering down at him laughing.” (83) Numada subsequently traveled to India to set free a wild myna bird, and felt as though he returned the favor done to him.   The favor of his life, in place of the myna’s.  

Tsukada was very conflicted in life, but thanks to Gaston, he found peace in death.   Tsukada confesses that to stay alive during the war, he ate a comrade’s flesh.   After the war, he saw the soldier’s child, and could not “forget those eyes.   It’s as if…as if [my comrade] will go on looking at me with those eyes for the rest of my life.   I can never get away from those eyes.” (98)   He turned to alcohol to escape that image.   In the hospital with alcoholism, he shares his secret with a foreign volunteer, Gaston, who tells him that “You are not the only one to eat human flesh,” (102) and also that god is “Inside Mr. Tsukada.”(99)   Days later, Tsukada died, and “his face was more at peace than anyone had imagined it could be.” (103) Mr. Tsukada’s wife believed this was because Gaston had “soaked up all of the anguish in...