Think about the similarities and differences between Isamu and Roku in terms of social class.
What do you think Oseki learns from her run in with Roku? What is the significance of their meeting through the lens of Marxist theory?
- While reading “The Thirteenth Night” by Higuchi Ichiyo, I observed key similarities and differences between Isamu and Roku. A big difference that I think plays a huge role in the story is that Isamu and Roku both come from different social classes, Isamu enjoys the advantages of luxury and wealth while Roku is the complete opposite, and is a part of the lower class. Oseki being married to Isamu she would move up in the social class, and thus leaving Roku behind. This was a decision she realized she had to make, to be with who she loved, or to be with who she knew would help advance her status in society. Through the lens of Marxist Theory, we see how social classes interact and how one group might look down upon another, while simultaneously benefiting off of them.
Think about the setting of “The Thirteenth Night” particularly in terms of historical era. Given what you know of the era, and more specifically, what you learned about Higuchi Ichiyo’s life story, what or who could the female character represent? What role(s) did women play in society at the time, what kind(s) of power did they have, and how did they navigate their way through the systems of power?
- I think that “The Thirteenth Night” really showed how women had to choose to live or survive during the era. We see how Oseki decided to lose true love, in order to escape the struggle of the lower class by marrying into an upper class family like Isamu. This often leads to a life of suffering because it becomes simply a business endeavor more than an actual partnership. Oseki chose to navigate through systems of power by marriage, and I’d imagine that this was a common thing. Women often were not given the same level of respect as men, and were expected to be household wives, and cook and take care of children. They were not given the same benefits as men, even if they married their way to higher classes.
