Realistic vs. Appearance

1245 Words5 Pages
The theme of appearance versus reality is presented in “The Moon on the Water” and “The Wise Neighbor” in different ways. In “The Moon on the Water” appearance versus reality is depicted through the usage of mirrors to reflect the real world. “The Wise Neighbor”, on the other hand, explores the theme through Mrs. Chu’s physical appearance and attitude. Although the methods that each story utilizes differ, both “The Moon on the Water” and “The Wise Neighbor” identify the significant impact that appearance can have in altering one’s reality. Through the narration of “The Moon on the Water” Kyoko becomes her husband’s caretaker due to his illness and together they transform their view of the world. Kyoko’s husband was bed ridden until his death and suffered greatly from the isolation that it forced upon him. Kyoko had a great desire to maintain their relationship and his happiness and found a way in which her husband could vicariously take part in her activities, such as gardening which as Kyoko stated allowed her to “indulge her love for her husband”. Kyoko gave her husband a hand mirror that had been part of a set in her trousseau so that he could see the reflections of Kyoko and the world around him. The usage of the mirrors permitted him to feel as if he were with Kyoko, while providing a voyeuristic sensation for the couple. “In the course of time it became impossible for Kyoko to distinguish between the world that she saw directly and the world in the mirror. Two separate worlds came to exist. A new world was created in the mirror and it came to seem like the real world.” Kyoko’s husband began to prefer watching Kyoko and the world through the reflection of the mirror rather than with his own eyes. In a sense, the mirror provided a separation between Kyoko and her husband that brought them closer to each other. The reflections that they saw
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