[1] The story follows Sosuke, who betrayed his best friend Yasui by marrying his wife Oyone, and how he seeks salvation from his guilt.

The Gate first appeared in serialised form in the Asahi Shimbun newspaper between March and June 1910.

"[7]The Gate focuses on detailed description of characters and setting, leaving the reader to fill in the blanks where action is left undescribed.

For example, Sosuke's trip to the Zen temple only teaches him that his efforts to seek enlightenment are unlikely to succeed.

[8] Shortly after completing The Gate, Sōseki nearly died from an ongoing illness and its treatments, and his later works changed in tone and content.