Kokoro and the Parallels of Historical Events

1187 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: How art played a role in history

Throughout history artists have used art as a means to reflect the on goings of the society surrounding them. Many times, novels serve as primary sources in the future for students to reflect on past history. Students can successfully use novels as a source of understanding past events. Different sentiments and points of views within novels serve as the information one may use to reflect on these events. Natsume Soseki’s novel Kokoro successfully encapsulates much of what has been discussed in class, parallels with the events in Japan at the time the novel takes place, and serves as a social commentary to describe these events in Japan at the time of the Mejeii Restoration and beyond. Therefore, Kokoro successfully serves as a primary source students may use to enable them to understand institutions like conflicting views Whites by the Japanese, the role of women, and the population’s analysis of the Emperor.

Kokoro opens with the depiction of a White man by the narrator. The narrator discusses the Westerner as a non-threatening individual who was swimming with his Sensei. He described the Westerner as wearing Japanese clothing, acting in taking cues and acting as Sensei does, swimming among other Japanese people. The narrator does not describe himself as being frightened or threatened, yet he feels overcome with a feeling of thinking this particular Westerner was “quite extraordinary.” (Soseki 1957, p. 4). This is in stark contrast of many of the early depictions of Westerners. For example as Duus describes Japanese individuals as referring to Westerners as “red-haired barbarians.” This also was described in class discussions as we viewed paintings by Japanese individuals who demonized Westerners and made them lo...

... middle of paper ...

...e Mejeii Restoration and beyond. Therefore, Kokoro successfully serves as a primary source students may use to enable them to understand institutions like conflicting views Whites by the Japanese, the role of women, and the population’s analysis of the Emperor. As one can see, a novel can serve as a primary source which students can use to dissect and examine real historical events, even if the novel is fiction. Kokoro successfully does this and assists students in understanding the Meiji Restoration and the time surrounding this era in Japan.

Works Cited

Duus, Peter. Modern Japan. Second Edtion. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1998.

Sievers, Sharon L. Flowers in Salt - The Beginnings of Femenist Consciousness in Modern Japan. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1983.

Soseki, Natsume. Kokoro. Washington, D.C.: Regnery Publishing Inc., 1957.

Show More
Related

  • The Go Masters And Turtleback Tombs And Japan's Impact Of War In Modern Japan

    1467 Words  | 3 Pages

    Much of what is considered modern Japan has been fundamentally shaped by its involvement in various wars throughout history. In particular, the events of World War II led to radical changes in Japanese society, both politically and socially. While much focus has been placed on the broad, overarching impacts of war on Japan, it is through careful inspection of literature and art that we can understand war’s impact on the lives of everyday people. The Go Masters, the first collaborative film between China and Japan post-WWII, and “Turtleback Tombs,” a short story by Okinawan author Oshiro Tatsuhiro, both give insight to how war can fundamentally change how a place is perceived, on both an abstract and concrete level.

    Read More

  • Meeting Criticism In Kyoko Baldwin's A Talk To Teachers

    1532 Words  | 4 Pages

    Mori’s purpose for writing this essay is so that citizens of America realize that learning and receiving an education is a gift that not everyone is granted. Mori wants to show this point in order to make Americans realize that they take advantage as well as think nothing of such a serious matter. She develops her thesis by using her knowledge and experience from both Japanese and American schooling to form the compare and contrast format as well as breaking up her essay into eight sections. In conveying her perspective, Mori incorporates an appeal to ethos in order to enhance the validity of her essay. “Many Americans in their thirties and forties go back to college to get trained for a different line of work or to pursue a lifelong interest they couldn’t afford to study earlier. Until they are in need of such second chances, most Americans take college for granted because they are always there--almost any adult can get into some college at any age.” This shows how Americans do not truly understand how crucial and lucky the opportunity of education is when bestowed upon us. With that, Mori elaborates more on the ‘ie’ system of education in Japan through reference to her cousin, Kazumi’s, circumstance of being jeopardized of succeeding in school due to an earthquake. “Even though the letter said that we didn’t necessarily have to have a nice kimono if our family suffered such a great damage that we had no money, the tone was very condescending--and it was obvious that they were really saying that we should rent one no matter what the cost.” From this reference, it was visible that Kazuma and her family were going through an incredibly tough time recovering from the traumatizing experience; furthermore, the teachers didn’t show much if any sympathy for her when they told her that she must have a kimono dress for the annual certificate ceremony knowing she had

    Read More

  • An Indepth Look at Warfare in Medieval Japan in Joseph Conlans' State of War; The Violent Order of Fourteenth Century Japan

    990 Words  | 2 Pages

    Joseph Conlans “State of War; The Violent Order of Fourteenth Century Japan” is an depth look at Japans emerging warrior class during a time period of constant warfare in Medieval Japan. His work however doesn’t revolve around the re-fabrication and in-depth analysis of battles sieged like many contemporary examinations of wars and battles won and lost. Instead the author vies to navigate the reader on journey into the warrior class’s lives and how they evolved through a statistical analysis of records. This illustrates how warfare changed and transformed with the constant evolving of the Samurai, but it also includes how their actions affected their Political environment as well as the society in which they dwelled from the bottom up. Through his survey of records and documents, Conlan is able to give readers a compelling look into the Warrior class and at times shatters in the process many of the pre-conceived general notions that one may hold about this ancient class of professional warriors. Many of the notions & common misconceptions debunked in this scholarly piece include the idea that the Samurai was a male only fraternity, reserved for those of impeccable candor and loyalty. When truth be known, woman and young men (boys) were also trained in the art of war and thus were as likely to be found on the battle fields as men when times were tough and solider numbers were depleted. Further, another misconception (Generally thought to be caused by the popular and well known; “The Bushido Code: The Eight Virtues of the Samurai”) of the warrior class is that all of these men were truly Samurai which translated to “one who serves” when really, loyalty for the warrior class as Conlan points out only went as far as ones right to ...

    Read More

  • The Caste System Ideology in Akira Kurosaw’s Seven Samurai

    421 Words  | 1 Pages

    Akira Kurosaw’s Seven Samurai is a film that encompasses various ideologies in order to allow the audience to understand the lives of Japanese people during the 1600’s. The film delves deep in social issues of the roles of the people within the society, the expectations as well as the obligations within the respected castes and elements within groups of ; suffering, working together, protecting family and working for the better good of the community.

    Read More

  • Samurai

    997 Words  | 2 Pages

    In conclusion, Katsu’s tale allows one to delve deep into the day to day life of an unemployed samurai during the end of the Tokugawa era. His life can be observed to see the immense privilege the samurai status held. Not only that, he displays the values of a samurai warrior and although he does not act like an honorable samurai, he is an honorable warrior. Katsu displays the tenacity of both samurai privileges and values during the late Tokugawa shogunate. Although his life may not exemplify the ideal samurai, it does in fact allow one to observe the life of an ordinary samurai.

    Read More

  • Joy Kogawa's Obasan

    1771 Words  | 4 Pages

    Much about Kogawa's novel makes it difficult not only to read but also to classify or categorize. First, Obasan blurs the line between nonfiction and fiction. Kogawa draws from actual letters and newspaper accounts, autobiographical details, and historical facts throughout the novel, but she artistically incorporates this material into a clearly fictional work. In addition, Kogawa's narrative operates on multiple levels, from the individual and familial to the communal, national, political, and spiritual. Stylistically, the novel moves easily between the language of documentary reportage and a richly metaphorical language, and between straightforward narrative and stream-ofconsciousness exposition. This astonishing variety in Kogawa's novel can, at times, become bewildering and unsettling to the reader. But as many readers and critics have noted, Kogawa's style and method in Obasan also constitute the novel's unique strength. Kogawa writes in such a way that ambiguity, uncertainty, irony, and paradox do not weaken her story but instead — paradoxically — become the keys to understanding it.

    Read More

  • Summary Of Yamakawa Kikue's Women Of The Mito Domain

    1165 Words  | 3 Pages

    Known for her work as a historian and rather outspoken political activist, Yamakawa Kikue was also the author of her book titled Women of the Mito Domain (p. xix). At the time she was writing this work, Yamakawa was under the surveillance of the Japanese government as the result of her and her husband’s work for the socialist and feminist movements in Japan (p. xx-xxi). But despite the restrictions she was undoubtedly required to abide by in order to produce this book, her work contains an air of commentary on the past and present political, social, and economic issues that had been plaguing the nation (p. xxi). This work is a piece that comments on the significance of women’s roles in history through the example of Yamakawa’s own family and

    Read More

  • Stereotyping of Arab Muslims in the New York Times for the Past Forty Years

    3581 Words  | 8 Pages

    Ogawa, D. (1993) The Japanese of Los Angeles. Journal of Asian and African Studies, v19, pp.142-3.

    Read More

  • Nakae Chomin’s Discourse

    1062 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Discourse acts as a forum for the exploration of the political pathways that Japan could follow following the Meiji Restoration in 1868. At a time when Japan had just begun to consolidate herself, Chomin’s Discourse was aimed at discussing Japan’s long-term trajectory through three imaginary mouthpieces, ‘The Gentleman of Western Learning’, his opposition ‘The Champion of the East’, whose debate is being observed and arbitrated by a ‘Master Nankai’.

    Read More

  • A Woman’s Madness in Dojoji

    1103 Words  | 3 Pages

    Savas, Minae. "Feminine Madness In The Japanese Noh Theatre." Electronic Thesis or Dissertation. Ohio State University, 2008. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. 11 Mar 2014.

    Read More

  • Julie Otsuka When The Emperor Was Divine

    1463 Words  | 3 Pages

    When the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka is focused on the experiences of a Japanese family during World War II. Specifically the experience of the mother of this family and how she changes to the crisis presented. The woman’s mindset, womanhood, and progression are all described very thoroughly throughout this novel. The development of a female character and her womanhood in this manner can also be seen in The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Gilman. The manner in which the Julie Otsuka portrays the woman protagonist in her story When the Emperor Was Divine sheds light on how she develops and adapts to the situation at hand through the woman’s mindset, womanhood, and progression overall as a character.

    Read More

  • Comparing Ihara Saikaku And Tamenaga Shunsui

    1278 Words  | 3 Pages

    Peace and unification come to Japan in 1603 after the “warring states period.” The establishment of the Tokugawa Shogunate creates a transition from the medieval daimyo rule to a fully controlled country with strict, male dominant order. Women, on the other hand, are expected to obey their superiors and live within strictly defined rules. Yet, in the works of Ihara Saikaku and Tamenaga Shunsui the authors depict rebellious women whose difficult fate pushes them to often obscene actions. However, their desire to live and be happy gives them courage and strength to act in socially rebellious ways.

    Read More

  • Japanese Literature

    1043 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Japanese medieval age consists of the Kamakura and Muromachi periods (from approximately 1185 to 1600). During this time, the political power was switching from the imperial family to a militaristic government. In addition, civil wars (from 1156 to 1568) were increasing throughout Japan. This change of centrality in society’s focus from court to warriors shifted the perception and style of Japanese literature.

    Read More

  • Gender Ideals in Heian Society

    1083 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Heian period(794-1185), the so-called golden age of Japanese culture, produced some of the finest works of Japanese literature.1 The most well known work from this period, the Genji Monogatari, is considered to be the “oldest novel still recognized today as a major masterpiece.”2 It can also be said that the Genji Monogatari is proof of the ingenuity of the Japanese in assimilating Chinese culture and politics. As a monogatari, a style of narrative with poems interspersed within it, the characters and settings frequently allude to Chinese poems and stories. In addition to displaying the poetic prowess that the Japanese had attained by this time period, the Genji Monogatari also demonstrates how politics and gender ideals were adopted from the Chinese.

    Read More

  • Reflection of Modern East Asia

    895 Words  | 2 Pages

    Our preliminary class gave a brief, yet detailed outline of major events affecting the East Asian region. Within that class, prompted by our limited geographical knowledge of Asia, we were given a fundamental explanation of the geographical locations of the various events taking place in the region. In subsequent classes, we were introduced to the major wars, political shifts, and economic interests which shaped Japan, China and Korea to what they are today. We examined the paradigm of pre-modern Japanese governance, the Shogunate, and the trained warriors which defended lord and land, Samurai. In addition, we examined the socio-economic classes of Medieval Japan, which included the Samurai, peasants, craftsmen, and the merchants. We also examined pre-1945 Japan’s policies toward foreign entities, notably the Sakoku Policy, which sought to expunge all foreign presence and commerce in an effort to protect its borders and culture. 1945, however, saw ...

    Read More

More about Kokoro and the Parallels of Historical Events

Open Document