Comparing Ihara Saikaku And Tamenaga Shunsui

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.

Importantly, Neo-Confucianism remains as the dominant philosophy in Japan during the Edo period because it stresses morality, ethics, social harmony,

Her marriage, as well as many others during that period, is arranged and agreed on by Osan’s parents rather than herself (Saikaku, 67). Osan is not unhappy in their union as they “get along well as husband and wife for three years” and is a law-abiding wife (Saikaku, 67). However, after a piquant incident with a clerk Moemon, Osan chooses to “spend the rest of her life loving Moemon, even if people called them adulterers” (Saikaku, 71). Taking in consideration that “Love affairs between individuals outside the institution of marriage were strictly forbidden, and adultery by a woman was often punished by death” they both go against the system and risk their lives (Shirane, 60). Despite an awkward start of their love affair, both escapees become enraptured with each other and show genuine concern and care to one another. Despite difficulties they go through, Osan says :“You make me very happy” and “You love me more than your own life” implying that she is happy with her choice (Saikaku, 75). Even when their relationship is exposed and they are condemned to death, “they live their last moments with such dignity that they became a legend” (Saikaku 82). Indeed, Osan is not ashamed of her love, she has the courage to break the norms and resist the ties of marriage in her pursuit of

It “revolves around the efforts of four women - Yonehachi, Ocho, Oyoshi, and Konoito - to become independent, support themselves, and find happiness with the men whom they love” (Shunsui, 763). In particular, Yonehachi who is a geisha musician and Ocho the only daughter of the manager of the Karakotoya house in the pleasure quarter district, both love Tanjiro who himself was tricked into a family with depths (Shirane 763). Through the story, Tanjiro appears weak and relies on the help of his lovers. Yonehachi and Ocho try their best to support him financially and be true to him no matter what. Yonehachi breaks her contact with the help of a highly-ranked courtesan Konoito and becomes a professional musician. Yonehachi “remains faithful to Tanjiro” despite the attempts to seduce her from one of the customers of Konoito - Tobei (Shirane, 779). She sends Tanjiro money and for a long time it is how he makes living “ Yonehachi was supporting him, and it was thanks to her help that he’d recovered from his illness and now had enough money for the things he needed” (Shunsui, 785). Ocho too starts joruri singing and chanting. She makes a contract with a woman who runs an entertainment agency and decides to give the contract money to Tanjiro so that he pays off his debt (Shunsui, 793). Meanwhile, refuses to enter into any relationship with