The Love Suicides At Amijima Summary

Chikamatsu Monzaemon’s play The Love Suicides at Amijima depict characters who struggle to meet their obligations when they confront their true emotions. There are four main characters who the audience sees in conflict: Jihei, Koharu, Osan, and Magoemon. Jihei is a paper merchant, father, and husband of Osan. Floundering with the weight of keeping his family secure and his business alive, Jihei attempts to distract himself with the town 's pleasure quarters. While in the pleasure quarters he meets and becomes enamored with the young prostitute, Koharu. As a woman in Japan at this time, Koharu 's social mobility is limited and she is stuck in the role of a prostitute until her ransom can be paid, but despite this, finds herself deeply invested in the impoverished Jihei and refuses to see any other prospective patrons. Complicating this already difficult situation is Jihei 's wife, Osan. Loyal to her irrational husband, Osan must mind not only her children and her husband 's shop, but also mind the stifling social constraints that dictate the manners of women, present at this time. Finally, there 's Mogamoen, flour miller and elder brother of Jihei. More responsible than his brother, Mogamoen ventures to help Jihei when he hears of his increasingly risky behavior in the pleasure quarters. Even though several of the character 's have human qualities that are relevant today, I find Osan to be the easiest to sympathize with out of the cast. Keeping watch over those around her,