“In a Grove” is a modernist short story written by Japanese author Ryunosuke Akutagawa, also known as the father of Japanese short story. “In a Grove” is one of his most notable works alongside with “Rashomon”. Both stories were taken and fused together to make the 1950’s film “Rashomon” by Akira Kurosawa. The short story “In a Grove” is about the murder of a samurai whose corpse was found in a bamboo forest in Japan and the distorted accounts to try and find out who killed the samurai, which simultaneously clarifies and confuses the reader due to the different stories each character recounts. Compared to other murder mysteries, Akutagawa uses unique techniques and devices to create a distinctive story with an unorthodox and unique style. Examples
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Each character recounts what they saw and what happened, but as the reader we don’t know who is telling the truth because of each characters distorted perception, every testimony becomes hearsay. Akutagawa illustrates here that it’s in human nature to lie and its impossible to know the truth of what really happened in the story because throughout the story someone will say one thing and someone else will say the complete opposite. In the story the concept of distorting the truth is used to strengthen and boost character’s egos. For example the bandit, Tajomaru, tells that although he defeats Takehiro, it was a great battle. “Nobody under the sun has ever clashed swords with me twenty-three times”. (Akutagawa, p.75) Another example of a character using a lie is Takehiro’s wife, Masago, when she lies to enable her to remain a weak victim. The second theme of honour is seen when the wife values her honour more than her own life due to Tajomaru raping her. Another example of honour is when Takehiro says he killed himself by thrusting the small sword into his chest because he wanted to defend his reputation and honour, even after death. Each character has a different story to make themselves look better than the other. As the reader its up to you to decide which one is …show more content…
“In a Grove” features a first person view, but what makes it so unique is that seven characters tell it all in first person. The reader is sent into a flashback by almost all of the characters to get their account to gather evidence and finally decide who is the killer. Each character has a witness account of the story. The woodcutter, is the first one to find the man’s body in the grove, he says the died of a single sword stroke to the chest and that a fight had happened due to the trampled leaves there was no evidence at the scene besides a comb, a rope and dried up blood. The second account is from a travelling priest, he says he saw a man with a woman on horseback; the man was carrying a sword, a bow and quiver. All of these items including the horse were missing form the crime scene when the woodcutter arrived. The third person to testify was an officer who caught a bandit named Tajomaru, Tajomaru had the dead man’s bow, quiver and horse, but he didn’t have the sword on him. The next person that testifies is an old lady who identifies herself as the mother of Masago. She doesn’t provide any information to help the officer with the case. The fifth person to testify is the thief Tajomaru, he recounts his side of the story where he sees Masago and decides he wants her so he lures them into the grove and Tajomaru ambushes Takehiro, the samurai, and then Tajomaru rapes
Each character recounts what they saw and what happened, but as the reader we don’t know who is telling the truth because of each characters distorted perception, every testimony becomes hearsay. Akutagawa illustrates here that it’s in human nature to lie and its impossible to know the truth of what really happened in the story because throughout the story someone will say one thing and someone else will say the complete opposite. In the story the concept of distorting the truth is used to strengthen and boost character’s egos. For example the bandit, Tajomaru, tells that although he defeats Takehiro, it was a great battle. “Nobody under the sun has ever clashed swords with me twenty-three times”. (Akutagawa, p.75) Another example of a character using a lie is Takehiro’s wife, Masago, when she lies to enable her to remain a weak victim. The second theme of honour is seen when the wife values her honour more than her own life due to Tajomaru raping her. Another example of honour is when Takehiro says he killed himself by thrusting the small sword into his chest because he wanted to defend his reputation and honour, even after death. Each character has a different story to make themselves look better than the other. As the reader its up to you to decide which one is …show more content…
“In a Grove” features a first person view, but what makes it so unique is that seven characters tell it all in first person. The reader is sent into a flashback by almost all of the characters to get their account to gather evidence and finally decide who is the killer. Each character has a witness account of the story. The woodcutter, is the first one to find the man’s body in the grove, he says the died of a single sword stroke to the chest and that a fight had happened due to the trampled leaves there was no evidence at the scene besides a comb, a rope and dried up blood. The second account is from a travelling priest, he says he saw a man with a woman on horseback; the man was carrying a sword, a bow and quiver. All of these items including the horse were missing form the crime scene when the woodcutter arrived. The third person to testify was an officer who caught a bandit named Tajomaru, Tajomaru had the dead man’s bow, quiver and horse, but he didn’t have the sword on him. The next person that testifies is an old lady who identifies herself as the mother of Masago. She doesn’t provide any information to help the officer with the case. The fifth person to testify is the thief Tajomaru, he recounts his side of the story where he sees Masago and decides he wants her so he lures them into the grove and Tajomaru ambushes Takehiro, the samurai, and then Tajomaru rapes