I think that determining whether this is the case requires a deeper look at this quote. Essentially, Ono’s confession suggests that, having searched for meaning and purpose, he found it in patriotism, not beauty. We see conflicting values in Japan through Ono’s deliberation – is the seeking of pleasure and beauty a meaningless endeavour in troubled times or is it more important than ever to retain one’s compassion and humanity? Is patriotic art not an enclosed world, too?
The quote constitutes a metaphor. Although he sees this as asserting his independence, he is essentially following the path he finds most appealing. The context here encompasses dogmatic thinking of propaganda that evokes strong emotions to convey political messages. The purpose of this is to therefore demonstrate the fallibility of human behaviour to selfishness, questioning the value of originality and questioning whether Ono's ultimate acceptance is genuine or simply another example of following other people's ideas.
Based on this information, two allusions are possible:
- Political messages
- Negative human behaviour
Of course, with reference to your knowledge and understanding of "An artist of the Floating World", you might be able to use some or all of this information in order to develop an informed perspective regarding this quote, including potential allusions within.
I hope this helps!
