Symbology of the Ishioni Bull in the Broken Commandment

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Symbology of the Ishioni Bull in Shimazaki Toson’s The Broken Commandment Shimazaki Toson’s The Broken Commandment is a novel that explores the psychological dilemma of the Japanese eta-born teacher, Segawa Ushimatsu. The Japanese Edo period saw an increase in the importance of social status in society. The protagonist of this novel belongs to the lowest class, the eta or ‘New Commoners’ whom were greatly discriminated against. Ushimatsu conceals his eta blood as part of a promise he made to his father, yet over the course of the novel Shimazaki describes in great detail Ushimatsu’s desire to break free of this burden and express his true identity to the world. In the tenth chapter of the novel Ushimatsu’s father is killed by a bull in a freak accident. This paper will examine the importance and actions of the Ishinoiri bull as a reflection of Ushimatsu’s psychological dilemma. One reading of this scene is that the death of Ushimatsu’s father by a bull is a representation of the protagonist’s angst and resentment towards his father. It is important to provide context for this claim. At the beginning of the novel Ushimatsu’s father makes Ushimatsu vow to keep his identity as an eta secret from the world. This commandment forces Ushimatsu to live in fear of being found out and thus discriminated against by Japanese society. Ushimatsu must live his life in constant fear of being removed from his position as a teacher and forced to live discriminated from other members of society. First, Ushimatsu’s name in Japanese is too large a coincidence to ignore when comparing his emotions to the bull’s actions. Ushi literally means cow. This small detail informs the reader of Shimazaki’s intentions to connect the protagonist with the bull in one way or another. It is important to establish the feelings Ushimatsu feels towards his father for the commandment. A scene

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