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More handpicked essays just for you.
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In Feudal era Japan, there was constant war that was occurring between external as well as internal rivals. During this time, there was the highly respected samurai, who were the soldiers of the era. They kept peace inside the borders of Japan as well as fought battles for them off of the soil. This important position, as well as the respect held for those that possessed this titles, began to decline as more and more years were put in between their present time and the last battle that any samurai was required for. Because of this, the samurai began to make an art out of their career, but this was also only held by a few of them, as their code of honor began to deplete as well. This code was diminishing by the year as the samurai were …show more content…
Musui was one of these men, which we have already discussed, as he had a large reputation as being a thief, liar, and an all-around scoundrel. This is a very real depiction of the samurai during this time, as most of them had fallen into the same habits. Even though Musui thought he was treated poorly and unfairly, he really was not. He was treated the way that most people thought he deserved, which was with very little respect, unlike the way the samurai were treated in their golden days, when they were truly honorable men. The samurai ethic, however, was a completely different idea than what was being depicted in the Edo …show more content…
This brought to light much of what was causing problems between the peasant people and the people in higher positions. If it was not for the huge gap between the peasants and the few men that were in charge, there would be very little problems for the mend like Musui, who could have found a better way to live his life. I think you assigned this book to show us what it was like to live during this time and that the samurai code of honor was not held up as much as one could possibly have believed, as well as how hard it was to live in a poorly run governing state. It worked well as a teaching tool because it had many examples as to why things had gotten as bad as they had for people in Edo era Japan. I also learned the Japan was in a very confusing time, I say this because there are not many places that will have jobs for people who do literally nothing almost at all times of the year. This was one of the reasons that things were crazy enough for the peasants, they had so many people to deal with that had an over-glorified title who would ultimately take what they wanted, even though this was not their way of life as a
Where he began to make some money. Although all of Musui's life his money was spent instantly. He used majority of his money to keep up with his appearance and all of the Samurai, to try to pretend he was wealthier than he was. During this time, he sold swords for a living and creates a relationship for trade which brought together different sword buyers and sellers all around. We learned in class that trade is very important in a society.
In document B written by Catharina Blomberg, it says, “Loyalty toward the feudal lord in Japan was hereditary.” If becoming a samurai was hereditary, then some samurai weren’t chosen to be a samurai because of their abilities, but because they were the son of a samurai. That means that not all samurai are the best fighters. It also says in document E, written by the DBQ project, “To dishonour knighthood was the greatest disgrace.” Part of the code is to always obey your king, so a knight would want to fight harder and not back out.
They help me see that the events that are being discussed are happening to families and farmers such as the Joad’s family. They provide specific evidence to support the experience of the Joads, which strengthens the novel as a whole. These chapters also provide the reader with historical background which explain much of the social standards of the time period, giving the reader a better understanding. The realistic depiction of the times presented in the intercalary chapters allows the reader to identify with the Joads as well as feel for them as people.
This tale shows one never to give up and persevere and no matter the odds. Many time the youngest son was doubted, though he continues forward to succeed in his quest. Even the king, his own father was suspect of his son’s chances saying , “ Your older brothers perished on this quest, and you who are still a tender youth will perish even sooner than they” (Afanas’ev 315). Likewise it teaches one to be wary of others no matter if you know them as they may be looking to take advantage of you. The maiden Dunia takes advantage of the eldest brothers tricking them into slavery just by asking them , “lie closer to her, so that they would be warmer” which cause they to fall through a trapdoor into the cellar ( Afanas’ev 314). Then even after the younger brother frees the elder brothers from slavery they look to steal his success by taking the apples and exiling him, though they don’t succeed. Moreover this will become extremely helpful as one grows older. Everyone is going to face challenges in life and must learn to push through them. Also it is good to keep an eye out on others making sure they don’t betray you or exploit your
There was class system that divided people into four categories: samurai, farmers, artist and merchants. Only samurai were allowed to carry the swords. When high-ranking officials walked down the street all the peasants had kneel to give him respect.
The samurai made japan culture different back then and maybe they never had thought that it would have change the modern world now. All the traditions they had and all of the techniques they used can still be found throughout the world today. Especially their art and religion. Their art can be found all over the world today, some being old and some new. Their shinto and Buddhism can still be found all throughout the Japanese culture today in the modern world.
The bushido stressed that a samurai should be education and support the arts. The bushido also explained an act of suicide through a ritual called the hira-kira. In this ritual, if a samurai fails to complete his duty, he was expected to use a knife to cut his abdomen, after which an assistant would cut off the warrior’s
The term samurai was first used in the 10th century and means “those who serve”. In the beginning it stood for men who guarded the capital for the Emperor, some where used as tax collectors. Later the word grew to include any military man who served a powerful landlord, almost like a police force for that time. They would go around the countryside on horseback collecting taxes from the peasants, often this was in the form of rice. This money helped the Emperor pay for his lavish life style. The word, samurai, quickly spread and was respected (and maybe feared a little) for the men it represented.
The samurai are a type of warrior class in Japan similar to the European knights. They were not only used as soldiers for combat in war but they also replaced the court government in terms of managing the local government. They pledged to keep the peace and stay loyal to their master. This is how they were used for most of history until the end of the Tokugawa period. Their rise all begins in the Kamakura period.
Samurais take the #1 spot for their combat adroitness, they were the champions in the fields of battles. Samurais were not only skilled warriors of battle, moreover they were influential leaders for their armies. The only weapons and armor the samurais took into battle were only two swords, leather plated armor, a helmet, and bow with proper training. Unlike other nations, anyone could become a samurai, no one was obligated to stay with families or to continue jobs their parents did. One of the biggest things samurais followed was there code of conduct, called Bushido “the way of the warrior.” Along with other individuals with authority, samurais had much authority as well; They had to keep peasants in check, check up on the harvests, and most importantly, keep their Daimyo(Lord) save from invaders at all costs. When disrespecting or showing cowardness to their Daimyo, it lead to bringing great shame and dishonor to the samurais whole family. When samurais become dishonorable they often end up leaving and becoming a ronin. Ronin’s were mainly mercenaries that carried out assassinations, spy missions, and sabotage. Although samurais have already come to an end, many still worship their fallen ancestors, some still study the basic practices of samurais to always keep a basic understanding of the training they went through. Along with well skilled warriors, some showed their level of skill not on the battlefield, rather on a piece of
Do you know someone in the military? A loved one, a friend, do you know what they go through? I may not, but I do know about the harsh training and war that occurred for the Samurais and Knights. In Europe and Japan the empires were falling and Clans were taking over Japan. The government came up with an idea to create feudalism. There was an agreement in both Europe and Japan that exchanged land for protection. The similarities between Samurai and Knights were greater than the differences. This can be shown by looking at the three most similar areas: social position, training and armor, and life, honor, and death. The Samurai and Knights has their differences, but were the similarities greater than those differences.
...uses the reader to be more invested in the story and therefore truly strive to understand the world portrayed instead of just shallowly absorbing the setting. This is a strength because it gave the reader unique outlook on the Asian cultures because the audience feels personally involved in these situations. There are a few weaknesses in the book. I think perhaps, by putting the audience in these men’s shoes you cause them develop a bias. The reader will possibly have and emotional tie to the characters and because of this not see straight facts of history. The book is highly recommended to readers interested in pre-modern history, the book is a good look into the eastern world especially if one lacks research experience with that part of the world and its history.
This is an odd little book, but a very important one nonetheless. The story it tells is something like an extended parablethe style is plain, the characters are nearly stick figures, the story itself is contrived. And yet ... and yet, the story is powerful, distressing, even heartbreaking because the historical trend it describes is powerful, distressing, even heartbreaking.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Chinese and Japanese faced much internal conflict, but while China faced a combination of economic setbacks and political weakness, the Japanese were riddled with wars along their countryside. First, the Chinese emperor was too weak in comparison to his bureaucracy, which ended up making most of the decisions for the last Ming dynasty emperor. This was due to the emperor’s realization that having a title as Son of Heaven did not mean he had all the power of the empire. Instead he lived a laid back life where the bureaucrats vied for power and wealth amongst themselves and he merely managed them. Like the Chinese, the Japanese also saw elites battling it out for power, but this time on the battlefield with armies of samurai. These battles put Japan in a period much like the Warring States period in early Chinese history, where families fought and fought for power almost endlessly. The political weakness in China contributed to its economic failure as well. With no force to manage to seas, pirates were free to raid trade ships and villages along the coast line, weakening the Chinese economy that relied on a transport system to supply the country. These two major forces led to China’s fragmentation and eventual takeover by the Manchu. In contrast, the battles happening in Japan were not harmful to the economy as much as they were in China. This is due to the fact that the Japanese daimyos were independent...
There are many historical aspects of the Japanese, but the most interesting is the history of the Samurai. In Japans history war played a large role in the country. Controlling clans fought for parts of the land and overall control of the country. These clans were powerful families that resided in the country and who all wanted power and control of Japan for themselves. The families that would be in control were known as Shoguns. These shoguns would have warriors that fought for them if any of the other clan families would try to attack him in order to overthrow him and take his power from him. The Samurai followed a code that developed from Chinese beliefs when in battle. The Samurais code was known as the Bushido. This code was also known as “The Way of The Warrior” which was the main belief s...