Love Suicides at Amijima Essay

This paper discusses how suicide is viewed in Japanese society, and how a greater understanding earth-closet be gained of the Japanese view commove on voluntary death by a study of Chikamatsu Monzaemons historied drama The Love Suicides at Amijima. The writer provides an overview of Chikamatsus life, literary career and the era in which he lived in the second half of the seventeenth century. The theatrical traditions in which he wrote are described as well.His internal tragedy, The Love Suicides at Amijima, is described in detail, and the writer explains the social and family obligations in which the protagonists are trapped and which ultimately lead to the double suicide at the end. The theme of the Love Suicides of Amijima respects the differences between American and Japanese refining with regards to views of suicide, duty, and honor, while still remaining accessible to its 21st century American audience. Passion, heartache, and sacrifice are narratives that have existed eter nally.Another theme is sock and self destruction. What I have from my notes is the dichotomy of the beauty and brutality of love transcends patch and time. As One of the best ways to understand a unalike culture is to read the literature it has produced for one is introduced to the mankind view in which the author operates. After all, each text is made up of the particularities of the world that reflects it. And there is nothing more extreme and intriguing example of much(prenominal) suicides than the love suicides or shinj popularized by Chikamatsu Monzaemon.It is defined as based on a pact between lovers trapped in a electronic network of such intense turmoil they have no recourse observe the ultimate destructive act. Although we recognize that the writers works originated hundreds of age ago and certainly values, motives and times have changed in the contemporary period, it can still serve as a literary starting point to understand the Japanese concept of suicide. Furt hermore the events, characters, and symbols were all interesting particularly Osans character because she is fully aware of her husbands love for Koharu, yet she still decides to stay with him.Her actions seem to baffle me. She comforts Jihei, although he is crying over another women. Also, when she reveals that she sent Koharu a letter postulation to end her relationship with Jihei, she immediately asks Jihei to save Koharu instead of forgetting about the request. Furthermore, Osan gives Jihei money, (money that is needful to be set aside for business and the children) to take care of Koharus ransom. I am quite confused as to why she would do this, considering she has been nothing but a loving wife and a lovingness mother.