The Strongest People Fight to Live
Men must face hardships. Men must face disease. Men must face each other [Parallel]. Men constantly pressure one another into perfection. Some men, however, crumble under the burden looming over their heads [FoS]. When some men cannot face themselves or those around them any longer, they choose a dangerous and deadly escape. They would rather commit suicide than face their hardships. In the japanese culture, society encouraged seppuku to end a life before a man brought dishonor to his family. In a world full of yearning for honor, young men learned that they must express courage through suicide to fulfill their honorable ancestors’ wishes. Gail Tsukiyama uses her novel The Samurai’s Garden to prove that only
…show more content…
the most courageous people can live in a hateful world. Society expected lepers to commit seppuku and bring honor to their families. Although society never considered leprosy as just a simple disease, society considered it a punishment [PS]. Matsu’s sister Tomoko contracted leprosy first in Tarumi. She consumed herself with her perfect outward appearance, but she panicked when her beauty began to disintegrate [BCS]. Each day after [she asked Matsu for their father’s fishing knife], I tried to talk to her.
I
wanted to tell her about Yamaguchi, but she remained closed up in her room. ‘I won’t live
like this,’ she repeated over and over again in a chant… Three days later when I went to
check on Tomoko, my sixteen-year-old sister had found my father’s fishing knife and
ended her life. (Tsukiyama 156)
Tomoko consumed herself with her outer beauty but never valued her own life [Cum]. When faced with the decision to commit suicide, Tomoko preferred death. She could never live without her beauty and dishonoring her family. By ending her life, Tomoko turned away from the world. She never needed to fight [BS]. Although she honorably faced her death, she gave up without making the effort to survive. She lacked the courage to continue in a world where people would treat her differently because of her appearance. With her perfection altered, Tomoko could not muster the strength to attempt a new life. Not everyone, however, seeks comfort in death’s embrace.
Sachi contracted the disease when she at sixteen years old. She sought comfort from her family, her fiance, and her best friend’s brother. Everyone except Matsu, however, expected her to end her life. She feared her future life in Yamaguchi, but Matsu and Michiko lent her their strength [BCS]. Sachi gained the courage to survive in a difficult world with a horrible
disease. You see, Stephen-san... I learned that there were greater losses than mine. Every man and woman in Yamaguchi had a life before coming here… If I hadn’t learned humility before then, from that day on I knew what the word meant. Here in Yamaguchi I learned that beauty exists where you least expect to find it. (Tsukiyama 148) Sachi feared the leper community. Upon her arrival to Yamaguchi, she screamed once viewing Michiko’s deformed face. Through her fear, however, she became stronger than ever before. Before contracting leprosy, she focused only on her outward appearance. After moving to Yamaguchi, she developed an understanding of the people there. The disease itself also provided her with the strength and courage to continue her life. Matsu and Michiko changed her life and provided her with the foundation to live, even if she felt that she deserved death. Matsu, Michiko, and many others fought to keep Yamaguchi thriving. Yamaguchi’s people prove their strength through their lives. While society expected lepers to commit seppuku and bring honor to their families, the citizens of Yamaguchi fought to live a normal life. In Yamaguchi, each man has the chance to live happily. Although outsiders look upon the village with distaste and disgust, each member refuses to allow that negativity to change their minds to live. While some people believe that the only courageous lepers committed suicide, “It takes greater courage to live” (Tsukiyama 139). Where the lepers from Sachi’s past chose to end their lives in the ocean, the people of Yamaguchi stayed strong. In a culture that views the lepers as abominations, these villagers show true courage in surviving. Although facing unknown death shows courage, living happily in a world that despises shows true courage.They know that they cannot escape the pain the disease brought them, but they fight for happiness in a cruel reality. Cruelty resides within each individual [BS]. Men must learn to bravely face the cruelty of others to prosper in a difficult world. Strength resides within those who live and survive their struggles. Although the healthy individuals in Japan believed that the lepers needed to end their lives for honor, the citizens of Yamaguchi bravely fought to keep their lives. Their courageous triumph over seppuku proved their strength. Even they believed that they deserved death. True misery reflects the hatred a man has for himself, and the fact that the citizens of Yamaguchi faced life proves their victory and courage over death. Men must learn to show love for one another and themselves to create a harmonious world. They must learn to look past outward appearances. Only then will the world become a truly beautiful garden.
Matsu may be reserved, but through these connections Stephen finds that “Matsu’s garden whispers at you, never shouts; it leads you down a path hoping for more, as if everything is seen, yet hidden”(31). Although Matsu keeps his past secretive, he leaves parts of it spread throughout his garden, which link together and tell his story. Throughout the novel there is emphasis of the strength of the samurai because of Matsu’s ability to overcome struggle. For instance, Matsu explains to Stephen that a samurai has a difficult path before reaching his afterlife which can be represented by a bridge. Matsu explains that after the long, rigorous path “when you reach the top of the bridge, you can see your way to paradise” (58). This symbolic bridge holds an important place in Matsu’s garden and is the main symbol of his difficulties. Partnered with the aspect of struggle, the representation of Matsu’s personality peeks through his garden. Not only has Matsu concealed his struggle within his garden, but his true personality is revealed through the garden’s beauty. For example, Matsu gives his garden a
Isolation is similar to a puddle of water – it is seemingly dull and colorless, but all it takes is for one drop of paint to change the entire picture. The novel cc is about a ailing Chinese boy named Stephen who goes through the same cycle. Stephen moves to a Japanese village during a time of war between Japan and China to recover from his disease. By forming bonds with several locales and listening to their stories, he quickly matures into a young adult. Throughout the novel, Gail Tsukiyama shows how disease forces Stephen into isolation; however, his relationship with Sachi and his time spent in Matsu’s garden lead him out of solitude.
Abuse is a subject that should be considered important. There are about 960,000 abuse incidents reported annually. 85% of them are reported by women. The resting 15% are reported by men. In Fried Green Tomatoes, abuse is a recurring part of the book, Fannie Flagg does an admirable job in describing in detail the abuse incidents that happen throughout the book. Ruth is a character that receives abuse from her husband, she believes she deserves everything he does to her, even push her down the stairs. She finally takes the decision to escape from the abusive relationship she is in when her near death mother advices her to. Along the way characters develop some effects caused by abuse. People who suffer from abuse may develop fear, low self-esteem, or strength.
Susanna recalls her suicide attempt: “I wanted to get rid of a certain aspect of my character. I was performing a kind of self-abortion of my character… but i had no heart to try it again” (Kaysen 39). Although Susanna’s action is viewed by some critics as alarming, it was a learning experience for her, and she moved on. Furthermore, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs emphasizes the idea of undergoing drastic measures in order for results to be evident. Also, self-actualization stresses the need for personal growth that spans a person’s lifetime (McLeod). Susanna’s drastic actions allow her to realize her need for self-evaluation and understanding her actions. Susanna explains that “scar tissue has no character... It doesn’t show age or illness... It shields and disguises what’s beneath. That’s why we grow it, we have something to hide” (Kaysen 16). Seeing Polly’s scar tissue, Susanna acknowledges the motives behind the creation of the form of skin, and thus, her understanding brings her closer to identifying her motives and what she seeks to gain from her actions. Susanna explains what goes into one’s detachment from life: “... practice imagining yourself dead, or in the process of dying” (Kaysen 36). Susanna acknowledges preparing for suicide, however, she realizes after
Our perspective on life can have a significant impact on our life. Depending on how you were raised it can impact your perspective on life very differently than others. For example if you were raised in a home of poverty or drug abuse you are use too that lifestyle when you're young. It wouldn't be till your older you would realize it is not a normal way of life. It shapes our life. In the novel the Glass Castle Jeanette is a perfect example of how your perspective changes throughout life as you experience life in addition to maturing. Her change in life had an unbelievable impact on her life that made her a well round mature adult despite her upbringing in poverty.
Akira Kurosaw’s Seven Samurai is a film that encompasses various ideologies in order to allow the audience to understand the lives of Japanese people during the 1600’s. The film delves deep in social issues of the roles of the people within the society, the expectations as well as the obligations within the respected castes and elements within groups of ; suffering, working together, protecting family and working for the better good of the community.
As she retells the story of Thought Woman and the Mother Creator, Silko tells her audience that her people believe that “in this universe, there is no absolute good or...bad; there are only balances and harmonies that ebb and flow,” allowing the reader to understand some of the context for the acceptance of her appearance. (Silko, Pg. 64). She goes on to explain that in her culture, “each being or thing is unique and therefore incomparably valuable,” and that uniqueness was a valuable part in the consideration of an individual’s soul as beautiful. (silko, Pg. 64). The set of stories Silko praises most highly are those centered around Kochininako, or Yellow Woman, and “the beauty of her passion, her daring, and her sheer strength to act when catastrophe is imminent.” (Silko, Pg. 70). Silko admires Yellow Woman for these traits, even going so far as to say that she pictures her with similar physical characteristics as herself, and explains that “from Yellow Woman’s adventures…[she] learned to be comfortable with…[her] differences.” (Silko, Pg.
...her to feel despair. Her misery resulted in her doing unthinkable things such us the unexplainable bond with the woman in the wallpaper.
Everyone is judged. It does not matter who they are or what they do with their lives, somebody somewhere makes an assumption about them based on appearances. Peter, the main focus of Mark Doty’s poem “Tiara”, was a cross-dresser. Being outside of the “social norm” made Peter an easy target for bullying and judgment. He was not normal in the slightest, but no one really is. Yet, society expects people to conform to this idea of what people really should be. No one honestly fits that mold, especially not Peter. People could never get over the fact that he was different. He was constantly ridiculed and made fun of. His only escape from all that was death, as sad as that is. His life had to end just so he could be happy. Death brings a place of acceptance, something Peter has never experienced before. The speaker, a spectator at Peter’s funeral, hears snide comments still being thrown toward the deceased. People were saying that Peter deserved to die and that he was asking for it. The voice of the paper then points out that an afterlife of acceptance is better than a life of being an outsider. The theme of “Tiara” by Mark Doty is death is an escape from the judgment of people on Earth.
Many people have different perceptions of suffering. Some of them see sickness and trauma as the main causes of sorrow and anguish in a person’s life. Rarely does a person think that one’s physical appearance can be a cause of sorrow and misery. This is Lucy’s story. She recounts the events of her life in her book Autobiography of a Face. She developed cancer as a young child, and this forced her to undergo surgery and numerous sessions of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. She had to endure numerous stares and insults from other people. This was a trying time for the young girl considering what she had to undergo. However, it did not compare to her later years. She spent countless hours in hospitals trying to get the perfect face. She did not want to be different from everyone else. In the end, she realized that the beauty and satisfaction that she was looking for were deeper within her. She could not get what she was looking for in the mirror or in the approval of others. To Lucy, being different from others was worse than the cancer she had. Despite the numerous challenges she faced, Lucy remained resilient.
Death, in many places death is feared, taking one's own life is looked upon as cowardly and weak. This story sheds a different light on death; it shows the honor and respectful way of bowing out. To see the honor in death, one must understand the culture and the time period. The story 'Patriotism' written by Yukio Mishima shows a couple?s courage, love and faith as well as the man?s commitment to his country.
One of the most fundamental philosophies of the samurai is that of detachment from the self. This detachment allows for a freedom from fear, which is essential to the samurai warriors. In the opening of Hagakure, Tsunetomo states that “the Way of the Samurai is found in death”. These rank among the greatest and most well known phrases in Japanese history, and in fact in the history of the world. Death is not to be feared by the samurai, it is to be embraced. The relationship between the samurai and his master is of the utmost importance, and only through detachment can the samurai fully and properly serve his master. These are two core, fundamental philosophies of bushido, and both can are reminiscent of similar ideologies in Buddhism, and Confucianism.
• This experience made her very secluded and reserved. She thought a lot about suicide but found comfort in writing. She became an observer rather than a participator in everyday life.
In Toni Morrison’s story and in real life, beauty is described by people as having blond hair, blue eyes , perfect figure, etc. It’s been said that if you have good looks, you can make it in life with just looks alone. People only strive for becoming beautiful because they want attention. As is the case in Toni Morrison’s story. The characters in her story think that they are ugly , by others opinions of them , and want to become beautiful so they will be recognized and be the center of attention. But the harder both characters try, the worse things get.
Buddhism is a beautifully complex religion that since its widespread introduction to Japanese culture by the end of the seventh century has made enormous impacts and direct influences on the government and cultural practices of society (Hoffmann 36). The Japanese death poetry composed by Zen monks and haiku poets, compiled by Albert Hoffmann, is an excellent literary explication of the Japanese attitude towards death. This attitude is most notably derived from Buddhism, the main religion of the Japanese people. Even Japanese citizens who are not literal Buddhists still embrace the philosophies that have now become instilled in the cultural history of Japan due to such a heavy Buddhist influence on government and education throughout the centuries.