The Plight Of Japanese Women In Algren's The Last Samurai

Although Katsumoto had essentially become the “man” of the household as he resided with Taka and her children, he would not have been permitted to instruct Taka to heal Algren as, “If her husband died she would then have to listen to her son.” (Source 14). The film depicted the life of a female Samurai to have been far more liberal than it was in actuality. In fact, men were ranked far higher than women were in the social hierarchy from as far back as the 1600s (Source 13). Therefore, the film was incorrect in assuming that Taka would have expressed her fondness of Algren openly because in reality, she would have been severely punished for her betrayal on behalf of the Samurai people (Source 14). The plight of Japanese women was far deeper than simply following orders, and in this way, the film conveys untrue information about the conditions of women in Japan. The film also failed to acknowledge the fact that women were not permitted to obtain an education and were essentially “Slaves to their husbands.” (Source 13). In this way, the film The Last Samurai is inaccurate.

Furthermore, the film failed to account for Algren’s rapid ability to understand the Code of the Samurai. As a matter of fact, the
The suicide ritual may involve more than one person however it was considered more honourable to commit the action alone (Source 6). It was believed that if a Samurai were mortally wounded on the battlefield, he would have to commit suicide as, according to the Bushido Code, failure was unacceptable (Source 7). In actuality, Takamori Saigo too was incurably injured in combat and it was reported that a friend of his did assist him in his demise by beheading him, however, this friend of Saigo had been a Samurai in training all his life (Source 16). Therefore, Algren’s aiding Katsumoto in the film would have been seen as a disgrace to the Samurai