The use of Seasons in “Congruent Figures”

In her short story “Congruent Figures”, Takako Takahashi explores various ideas of psychological realism. Around the 1970s, the genre emerged expressing ideas of individualism and a higher focus on emotions and feelings, which rejected the Confucius collectivistic ideals. An issue in the short story is one of the rejection of society, and how one is bound to the ideals placed on one. The use of seasons in the short story displays the acceptance of the societal roles placed upon Akiko.
Throughout the short story, one sees the internal issues that Akiko faces as she goes further into motherhood. At the beginning of the story Hatsuko, Akiko’s daughter, reveals how she knew of the dislike that her mother had on her during her childhood and adolescence. In the letter that Hatsuko wrote to her mother questioning her, why “she disliked her” (1). Akiko then responds to herself by saying that “her feeling[s] about her daughter [are not] abnormal” (2) which is an example of how she is denying the societal roles. Entered in the role of a mother Akiko longs to escape out of the role as seen as her constant rejection of her daughter. Akiko though cannot leave the role of a mother to become her own person once more due to the Confucius influences that govern her life.
Her longing to become her own person becomes apparent later in the story when she becomes jealous of the attention that her daughter receives rather than herself. At this point in the story, it becomes apparent as to why Akiko has contempt for Hatsuko. She feels that Hatsuko is stealing away her youth and her own unique traits that make up who she is. When the guest is over at their house there are to instances where it is apparent that Hatsuko is stealing away Aki...

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...o take” (13) her grandchild rather than accept it with open arms. Hatsuko forces Akiko to take her child, which is one of the reasons as to why Akiko is defeated in the end. Akiko is also in a sense forced to the role of a mother and grandmother due to family. When Akiko is holding her grandchild, she remarks that her “blood ran through [Hatsuko]…continued to run even in Misako” (13). The same blood that runs through all three of them, bounds Akiko to the role once more because of the collectivistic ideas of importance on family.
The ideas expressed in the short story are part of the psychological realism that had taken place. Takahashi speaks of ideals that would not be very popular among the area in which she would publish. The way seasons are handled in the short story express the way Akiko wants to break free of the social norms but cannot due to society.