[2] Jirō, a young office worker in late Meiji era Tokyo and narrator of the novel, tells of the unhappy marriage of his older brother Ichirō, a university professor, and his wife Onao.

During a family excursion to Osaka, the suspicious Ichirō asks Jirō to try Onao's fidelity by staying overnight at an inn with her in Wakayama.

While en route, H sends a long letter to Jirō in which he explains that Ichirō's nervous state is due to his being too demanding of himself and his surroundings, and to his constant aiming at the absolute.

[3] Miguel de Cervantes' story "El curioso impertinente", included in his novel Don Quixote, has repeatedly been cited as an influence on Natsume's novel.

[4][5] In this story, a nobleman tries his wife's fidelity by talking a close friend into attempting to seduce her, with tragic results.