Sexist Philosophies Against Women In In A Grove By Ryunosuke Akutagawa

Sexist philosophies against women in Asian countries are still practiced and stimulated to this day. Americans and other greatly refined countries fail to acknowledge how undeveloped the social ideas in third world countries are and how it leads to transgressions in society. In Asia, it is out of “the norm” for a woman to convey antipathy towards a male, especially those of which belong in high social classes. One notable Japanese satire is “In A Grove” by Ryunosuke Akutagawa. This story discusses the investigation of a notorious samurai's murder. Each character supplies their perspective of what happened on that night, to the best of their ability, including an infamous criminal (Tajomaru), the man's wife (Masago), and the dead man himself (Takehiko). The different outlooks create suspense and a perception of mystery for the readers. This tale illuminates the rebellion against Japanese culture taking place within the story. Thus, …show more content…
The utmost wife should be the one who obeys her husband and works hard to uphold his reputation. If she were to disrespect her husband, she would face harsh punishments by authority (Adelstein). The Japanese government firmly believes the wife’s duty in a relationship is to revere her husband and produce babies. In Japan, if a samurai is dishonored, it his duty to commit a ritual suicide in order to protect his integrity. Yet, Masago confesses to the murder of her own husband; this act clearly rebels her Japanese culture. She admits to willingly “[stabbing] the small sword through the lilac kimono and into [her husband’s] breast” (Akutagawa 6). Her testimony proves she went against her husband’s will and murdered him. Not only did she disobey her husband, she destroyed his legacy as a samurai because according to Masago, her husband did not properly execute his duties. Her disobedience to her husband manifested rebellion against the Japanese