The Motif of Blades

1174 Words3 Pages

Many authors use symbolism to convey messages about society as a whole. One particular symbol which is trans-cultural and appears in much of literature is that of the blade. The blade in many cases embodies masculinity, honor, and courage. In the two stories “In a Grove” and Chronicle of a Death Foretold the authors use the motif of the blade to convey similar messages about the societies in which they take place. Both authors Akutagawa and Marquez use the motif to give an insight into views of honor and masculinity in the societies of Japan and Latin-American countries, respectively.

Akutagawa is famous for his use of symbolism and aspects of modernism in order to convey a hidden truth about human nature in society. To put it simply, his story, “In a Grove,” is a tale about a murder. However, underlying throughout the story are themes of deception and honor. The murder victim, a trained samurai is lured into a grove and killed, and the suspects are his wife, the robber, and himself. Rather than plead innocent, each suspect pleads guilty to preserve their honors. The blade is a recurring symbol in this story and shows the preservation of this honor. On page 25 the robber, Tajomaru, claims that he “didn't like to resort to unfair means to kill” the samurai, Takehiko. Instead, he claims that he offered to cross swords with him, and then killed him after twenty-three strokes. In this way the sword represents a means to accomplish an act of honor. To murder the samurai without a fight would be dishonorable, but by using the sword Tajomaru achieves honor. Furthermore, Takehiko goes on to claims, You, you don't use your swords. You kill people with your power, with your money,” (Akutagawa 20). Takehiko makes the accusation that the Ju...

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...ar masculine in societies where these qualities are highly valued. The fact that the blade appears in both works, and carries similar symbolic meanings, shows that not only is image of the blade is truly trans-cultural, but so are many of the views on honor and masculinity in the Japanese and Latin-American societies. Both masculinity and honor determine how society views a person, and in many cases this is a crucial part of society. The image of blade demonstrates how paramount these aspects are to people of different cultures around the world, and how many strive to be perceived by their society as masculine and honorable.

Works Cited

Akutagawa, Ryunosuke. Rashomon and Other Stories. Transl. Takashi Kojima, Tokyo:

Tuttle Publishing, 1952.

Marquez, Gabriel Garcia. Chronicle of a Death Foretold. Transl, Gregory Rabasa. New York: Vintage International, 1982.

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