The Love Suicides At Amijima Analysis

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What happens when society demands are not in line with what an individual desires? When an individual and society demands are different people are put in difficult situation sometimes making someone suffer the consequences. In the short stories “The Love Suicides at Amijima” and “The Punishment” it shows during time how society demands for women and individuals desires such as marriage, make women make irrational decisions. In “The Love Suicides of Amijima” Osan is married to her cousin Jihei; they have two kids together. Through out the story we observe how Jihei is having an affair with a prostitute name Koharu. Everyone in town is aware of his infidelity to Osan and for some reason nothing is being done about it. The play takes play in the 18th century. During the 18th century women played a different role. Women who were not married after a certain age or divorced were not view as good wife’s to be with. Jihei and Osan own a business together and while Jihei…show more content…
It first influences Osan by her telling Jihei “you’re acting outrageously, Jihei. You shouldn’t have signed that oath if you felt so reluctant to leave her”. We notice Jihei just signed the oath because he felt forced now in this quote we see how Osan is putting up with Jihei somewhat having feelings for another women this shows us how society view of a married women influences Osan so much to a point where she accepts what her husband is doing and in doing so she save her marriage. Osan also says to Jihei “I felt so unhappy that I wrote a letter, begging her as a woman to another to break with you, though I knew how painful it would be”. It is clear that Osan knew about everything and in doing so, she writes a letter to Koharu and keeps it a secret. We also know Osan admits she is very unhappy. So unhappy as she is society demand had an influence on her despite her desires of not being with him after all what he has
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