Shimizu Shikin’s “Two Modern Girls” and Higuchi Ichiyo’s story “The Thirteenth Night” are literally stories that show the issues of love and how it is different from other cultural issues like honor, tradition, and satire from a feminist perspective. The stories feature the issue of loss and love in a simple but compelling way. It is unique how the two women approach the issues through character transformations in the stories. The experiences of the different characters in both stories give a critical insight into the underlying social issues affecting Japanese society. The authors show the variation over time and display the society standards at the time. In both stories, the women characters appear to be revealed and developed in consideration …show more content…
The women in the stories burst the bubble that the institution of marriage is simple and easy. Referring to this aspect of marriage and Oseki’s decision to get a divorce, her father thought about how he could let her change the fine clothes she was wearing as a married woman to the working robe of a daughter of poor parents (Higuchi 247). Here, the author reveals a harsh reality with respect to the idea that woman without a well-off man does not have proper conditions for organizing her life, which means that female autonomy is impossible while she is either a wife or a daughter. In “Two Modern Girls,” Hanako, in her naivety, cannot comprehend that Yoshiro is only out to use her. The reason why Yoshida asked for marrying the girls was that “he deferred his debts and has asked not one but two well-to-do women to marry him” (Shikin 473). In this situation, the objectification takes place in terms of viewing a marriage only as a way to save his status and financial opportunities. Nevertheless, Kimiko is able to overcome the notion of society that she is an object and shows herself as an individual who is capable of acting autonomously. Nevertheless, she is in the position to refuse the advances of the Yoshiro as her family is rather well-off. As a result, she manages to become more than just an object of male desire unlike her friend Hanako who stays to live with her brother as she cannot live independently from a
In chapter eight of Night, Elie’s father, Shlomo, struggled with inhuman treatment more than once. He became ill and was unable to control where and when he relieved himself. Shlomo had gotten dysentery from drinking the polluted water. The other sick prisoners he was housing with were so displeased, they beat him. “Eliezer… Eliezer… tell them not to beat me… I haven’t done anything… Why are the beating me?”
The documentary film "13th" directed by Ava DuVernay delves into the deep-rooted history of systemic racism and mass incarceration in the United States. Through an exploration of the 13th Amendment, the film reveals how this constitutional provision created a loophole for the continued oppression of Black Americans through the criminal justice system, ultimately resulting in a modern-day form of slavery. In "13th," Ava DuVernay exposes the unjust practices of the American criminal justice system and its perpetuation of systemic racism. The film comprehensively examines the history of slavery, racism, and mass incarceration in the United States.
Another similarity, between these two short stories, both of the women held them selves as superior.
The Film “13th ” “13th” Is a film on racial inequality and systemic racism in the justice system of the United States. The film makes the point that the 13th amendment in the Constitution, responsible for abolishing Slavery and slave labor has been used to create a system of racial oppression to control the population of minorities specifically the African American community, by using the 13th amendment. Which states that slave labor can be implemented as punishment for a crime. In the film 13th much of the conflict stems from how racism is not only systemic through institutions in the United States and the criminal justice system, but also how it went from individuals implementing their beliefs and power to laws and policies that allow for
Another item that is extremely important in both stories is the use and importance of fate. Both characters rely on their fates for assistance and for achieving
Although both stories contain expressive and colorful descriptions of the events that occur and how the characters feel, The Jilting of
Being half her husband’s age and he already going through three marriages, the girl’s mother couldn’t help but to respect her decision. Her mother was a warrior, fierce one to be exact, “My eagle-featured, indomitable mother; what other student at the Conservatoire could boast that her mother had outfaced a junkful of Chinese pirates, nursed a village through a visitation of the plague, shot a man-eating tiger with her own hand and all before she was as old as I” (Carter). The bride is later sent away to her husband’s castle to escape into womanhood, or marriage. After countless amounts of sex and lust, Marquis, her husband, takes her virginity and proposes to her.
Life is Beautiful Set in rural Japan during the Japanese Army’s invasion of China near the beginning of World War II, Gail Tsukiyama’s novel tells the story of Stephen, a young Chinese man who is sent to his family’s summer home to recover from tuberculosis. During his stay, Stephen develops friendships with three older residents and a beautiful Japanese girl. Throughout the course of The Samurai’s Garden , Gail Tsukiyama uses the character of Sachi and her experiences with her garden and meeting Michiko to illustrate the idea that true beauty is revealed in one’s character by their actions and not just looks. Sachi, a beautiful woman with leprosy learns that true beauty is deep within and is not what appears on the surface, she understands
A Night Divided took place in Berlin, Germany, a little bit after the World War II time. Greta’s (the main character) dad escapes the brick Berlin Wall, which was used to divide West Germany and East Germany. Now Greta is destined to find a way with her family to escape the extremely difficult route to freedom. The main reason on why the Berlin Wall was put up was because, Germany was not happy with the amount of people leaving East Germany to West Germany.
In Ihara Saikaku’s Life of a Sensuous Woman, the author illustrates various gender roles in both women and men. In the works Saikaku composed, he also demonstrates some parts of Japan’s developing cultural values with that of the European Enlightenment period. Japanese culture has a lot in common with that of the Enlightenment period because of the way that women are treated and the roles they should play to serve the man in the household. In Saikaku’s Life of a Sensuous Woman, he displays numerous similarities with Voltaire’s Candid and Mary Wollstonecraft’s A Vindication of the Rights of Women of the values that men share and also what the role women and society have in each of the different stories. Japan’s cultural values has various similarities with the European Enlightenment period.
The commonality that these two stories is the use of characterization
The main difference is that women are seen as an object and not as people. This is due to the unfaithfulness of both of the king’s wives. I found it brutal and unreasonable how the women characters in the stories are treated. The woman was clever in managing to survive in a society where women were not valued. The structure relies on her bravery and cleverness.
In the 1970’s women were expected to stay at home and take care of the household. They were usually not expected to further their education, but instead take care of the children or tend to their husbands’ needs. In 1972 Judy Brady decided to let the readers of Ms. Magazine know how she felt about her “duties”. In her short essay, “Why I Want a Wife,” Brady uses pathos to connect and appeal to the reader’s emotions while explaining why she wants a wife.
“The Tragedy of a Desperate and Hopeless Love” What are the limits of love? Is despairing love boundless and its ill-fated actions expected to be understood? How far is too far in an attempt to ease the hurt of a broken heart? The Love Suicides at Amijima is an emotional and sentimental story that demonstrates a more mind boggling look on affection, while Oroonoko gives an exemplary interpretation of a widespread romantic tale that everybody can rely upon, adoration everlasting. Both of these stories are socially various and significantly engage them.
In both stories it is women who die but only one comes back to life. Both are buried in an area that is owned by one of the characters in the