Existance in a World Divided
Lurking in the "mystery of the Orient"(Tanizaki 20) lies the images and beauty created by shadows. It is this traditional essence which is being replaced and forgotten as westernized culture and morality sprout their roots in the Japanese society. Tanizaki's specifically examines this idea of clashing cultures in the essay In the Praise of Shadows, and indirectly and symbolically reveals this concept through the characters in Some Prefer Nettles. In Tanizaki's novel Some Prefer Nettles Kaname and his relations with individuals and his surroundings reveal the clashing worlds in which he exists; clashing worlds which persuade individuals to appreciate and value the domestic world or the imported one. Initially Kaname appears to have lost the sight and significance of the shadows that are absent in his life, revealing his intrigue and encouragement for the integration of the Westernized world. As his story reveals a personal confession about the women in his life, it also describes a cultural conflict. Kaname's relationship with Misako is a rather 'modern marriage' in which they stay together out of mere convenience and also out of their own
As Kaname is pulled by the enticement of the "old world," the shadows in his life deepen and he touches an internal and external home recreated since his childhood. His previous desire for westernized cultural components (imposed upon him) begin to fade, and what he wants and appreciates is reexamined. He suddenly seems to become fixated on the "doll like" O-hisa who embodies the traditional roles and attitudes of subservient women. Kaname finds a connection with the father 's ideal world and ideal woman. "A sensitive woman, a woman with ideas, can only get more troublesome and less likable with the years...one does better to fall in love with the sort of woman one can cherish as a doll" (153). Kaname wants to follow the example set forth by the old man, and once in the old man's house, Kaname symbolically emerges himself into the traditional clove bath. Over time and by degrees, Kaname resumes traditional attitudes and tastes, and in the end eventually connects with the old fashioned mistress-- abandoning the modern world entirely. Kaname's immediate environment and the customs that accompany it also reveal the persuading allure of the Westernized world prevalent in parts of Japan. The clashing worlds of Tokyo and Osaka contrast one another, depicting the different lifestyles and worlds that Kaname must choose betwee
Some common words found in the essay are:
Tokyo Kaname, Initially Kaname, Divided Lurking, Tokyo Osaka, Kaname Louise's, Kaname Feeling, American/European Louise, Nettles Kaname, Symbolically Kaname's, Praise Shadows, clashing worlds, japanese society, westernized culture, traditional essence, prefer nettles, westernized world,
Approximate Word count = 896
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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