Encumbrance may be incorporated with despondency in the loss of a valued individual, even if the acquaintance possessed no liability regarding the accident. Survivor guilt is supposedly the correct term for this category of sentimentality, and is portrayed through the story of “The Seventh Man,” written by Haruki Murakami. Lamentation is depicted through the loss of the seventh man’s companion, K, which rendered survivor guilt. Despite the fact that the seventh man was not liable for the death of this companion, there was a significant possibility to save K. Even though the seventh man may not have kept his composure, he still has management over his conscience. On the basis of this rationale, the seventh man should not forgive himself.

“I told myself to run over to K, grab hold of him, and get out of there”(138). Delineated in this quote, it appears that the seventh man has full control of his conscience. If an individual has control over his conscience, the individual can control their movements. On the contrary, an individual’s activity may be enhanced in situations comparatively to the seventh man’s.. The seventh man knew that the wave was coming, and K did not. There is no logical explanation that proves that fear has dominated the seventh man’s body, and prevented the seventh man from helping his companion.

The entire rationalization for the loss of K, is where it started. During the eye of the storm, the seventh man asked his dad if he could go outside. As he was walking outside, he encountered K. “Where are you going?” K asked. “Just down to the beach” said the seventh man. This conversation influenced K to go along with the seventh man. K was not obligated to go, but prominence is always impactful regarding peers. K’s death was all evoked, through the response of his inquiry. The seventh man did not demand K to go, but he definitely influenced him.

Survivor guilt is illustrated in the story of the seventh man. However, just because an individual experiences the natural phenomenon of survivor guilt, does not mean they are not to blame. The seventh man was not liable for the death of the K, but he was the only individual that was capable of saving him. No one else was in the vicinity of the storm besides the seventh man. Due to this rationale, he was ultimately the culprit. According to the story, K was his best friend. If that was ultimately true, the seventh man should have done everything to save his companion. In the end, fear ultimately dominated him.

Maybe not forgiving yourself is not essentially a bad thing. It is all based on the seventh man’s perspective. It may be motivation for him, or his way to adapt to a new situation. Sequentially, all the circumstances lead to the significant capability. Prevention of forgiving himself may lead to a stronger individual.

<Timothy Lee North Hollywood High 9th Grade>