Summary

As the story unfolds, we readers begin to understand the significant impact that an Oseki's socioeconomic status has on their relationship. It would be correct to say that this effect is negative, but technically this is my opinion. When it comes to Oseki's relationship with her husband, we can clearly see that she is used as a punching bag to receive emotional punches from Isamu. What really struck me was how insecure she was. You can see that she avoids expressing her true feelings for her husband. In my opinion, this encourages Oseki to remain silent for more reasons than they can speak up. It is very difficult to stand up to someone who feels psychologically inferior. Compared to slavery, one of the main reasons slaves remained slaves for so long was because they had limited education. Knowledge is power and influences your understanding of yourself as a person. I think when Oseki met Roku, she learned that there are many people who are suffering from difficult situations, and she is not the only one who suffers from such situations. She consulted her parents. But her parents didn't give her the answers she was looking for. Their parents have never been exposed to situations like Oseki, so it is difficult to guide and mentor them properly. Through the lens of the Marxist Oseki coming together with Roku, it was a perfect example of accepting each other as people rather than social classes, so it was very meaningful. Rather than looking down on Roku, Oseki longed to embrace him and see him healed and out of his unfortunate situation.