The story was incredibly ambiguous, so I apologize in advance in case my analysis is not pertinent to the topic.
Setting
On a hot summer down the beach, a boy working
as a bottle collector finds a “lost thing”, having a peculiar mechanical look. Because
of the empathic proclivity of the boy, he decides to help the hopeless “lost
thing” to find his pertinent place.
Conflict
Despite the fact that the boy tries to
consult an “expert opinion” on the nature of the “lost thing”, he does not find
the proper answer. The society in the mechanical futuristic society is
indifferent in general to “lost things”. There is an authority, the Department
of Odds and Ends, which helps people get rid of “lost things” for they disrupt
the lives of individuals.
Climax
As the boy brings “the lost thing” to the
Department of Odds and Ends and works on bureaucracy, a janitor of the same
kind as the "lost thing” gives a bit of advice by telling the boy that if
he does not desire to forget that “lost thing”, he ought not to bring it there.
Then, the boy is given a sign, pointing to the “proper place”, which is still unknown.
When the boy finds a narrow straight, a
gate is opened. There he finds a harmonious world in which the lost odds and
ends have an actual place to live, allowing them to express their
individuality. As the janitor told the boy, he eventually forgets that he had a
playful relationship with the “lost thing”.
Symbols
-“The lost thing” as anomaly, outcast, and
waste of society.
-The Department of Odds and Ends symbolizes
authority, the patriarchal element of society.
-The uniformity of trains and houses
indicates a Soviet-style of industrial mass-production, without any stretch of
originality.
- The extradimensional world of “lost
things” as a utopia, an ideal society. Perhaps there are no ideals even for
humans, because of the indifference dominating the climate among the people. There is no enthusiasm and vividness, as the
last scene portrays. The uniformity of trains, buildings, and the lack of
individuality might allude to the pathological state of society.
Irony
As the “lost thing” enters the domain of an
extradimensional-like place, it finds its proper place, contrary to the common
belief in the society, in which the mundane “lost things” are discarded.
Theme
-Indifference. Society as a whole rejects
to solve palpable problems.
-Disorientation. Not knowing what to do
with unconventional things or circumstances.
-Identity. The lost thing fortunately finds
its proper place, thanks to the protagonist who was compassionate enough about
the hopeless state of the lost thing.
-Ambiguity. There is no clear answer to the
development of the story, nor a clear reason for the denial of lost things.
This fact can be regarded as a parallel to our reality; there are innumerable
problems that are hard to deal with. Humanity should at least strive to solve issues
that are identifiable and not ignore them.
-Responsibility. A universal lack of responsibility
is recurrent. The story gives us a great lesson: humanity should strive to be responsible
to foster a better world. One must identify the problems so that they can be solved.
Assertiveness and critical thinking are prerequisites to effective problem-solving.
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