Love Essay Example
Love Essay Example

Love Essay Example

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  • Pages: 3 (615 words)
  • Published: July 23, 2018
  • Type: Essay
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The two stories, "A Journey on Foot" and "Shino and Hamaji," take place in the late 1700s and early 1800s in Japan, a time when the country was underdeveloped and travelers would travel by foot to reach their destinations. Despite the primitive setting, love takes on a central role in the lives of friends and lovers. Both lust and prostitution were prevalent during this era, as well as emotional love between individuals. Through the use of narration and poems, these two stories portray this captivating theme of love in a humorous manner.

In A Journey on the Foot, Yajirobei and Kitahachi embark on a journey from Edo to Osaka in 1802 Japan. As they reach Nissaka, a storm forces them to seek shelter for the night at an inn. Yaji initially resists the idea, but upon seeing women entering the inn, he c

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hanges his mind. After washing and having supper, they inquire about the women. The maid informs them that these women are witches, prompting Yaji to seek their services.

Yaji asks the witch to help him communicate with his deceased wife. The young witch prepares for the conversation by chanting to various gods. The conversation between Yaji and his dead wife is filled with sorrowful memories of their past encounters and the problems caused by Yaji's mistakes in life. Overwhelmed with sadness, Yaji begs his wife not to recount the painful memories.

Finally, his wife asks Yaji to compensate the young witch for her services. Kita mocks Yaji for being even sadder after seeking the witch's help. Yaji was no longer keeping any secrets, and he was now even poorer after paying the witch.

During the night, th

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two travelers devised a plan to sneak into the witch's room and sleep with her without her mother knowing. However, these plans were not shared between Yaji and Kita as they went to sleep. Kita was first to wake up and sneak into her room only to be surprised when she eagerly grabbed him later followed by Yajo waking up too crept into their roomsIn the first story, Kita mistook the lips of the young witch for Yaji's and mistakenly bit them. This led to a confrontation where Kita realized he was in bed with the old witch. While Kita left the room, Yaji stayed against his will, feeling concerned for his friend who was still trapped with the old woman (Keene 416-422).

In the second story, Shino and Hamaji are lovers who spend their last moments together before being separated. Despite knowing that he cannot return to her, Shino has a duty to love Hamaji and promise her a future together. Hamaji cautiously enters Shino's room without waking her parents, leading to an emotional conversation about their love and Shino's plans to depart without returning. Although Hamaji insists on secretly leaving together, Shino convinces her to let him go alone. A servant reminds Shino to wake up early for his journey, prompting him to ask Hamaji to leave before her parents discover her presence. Sadly reciting a poem about cursed roosters symbolizing parental interference in their relationship, Hamaji experiences deep emotional distress just like Yaji did in his situation with the old witch.

Both tales depict similar scenarios of love stories: YAJI facing trouble with an older woman who desires his affection while HAMAJI experiences emotional

turmoil due to SHINO's actionsThe female characters in both situations try to convince the male characters to stay, but their efforts are in vain. Yaji successfully overcomes the old witch and departs, whereas Shino convinces Hamaji to release him and ensures that she leaves his room before her parents intervene the next morning.

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