An Artist of the Floating World Lesson Plan

What are Ono's thoughts about status and prestige? Does he consider himself to have a high status? Why or why not?

Ono repeatedly claims not to care about status, influence, or prestige. When Sugimura's daughters visit Ono, he says he is surprised to receive attention from such a highly-regarded family and is flattered that he was considered a worthy candidate for the sale of the home. When discussing Norkio's marriage negotiations he again states that he is often lax in matters of status and explains to the reader that he has never been aware of his own standing. He doesn't seem to mind that Noriko is interested in marrying a man below their social standing, but...