Rashōmon

by Ryūnosuke Niihara

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Setting and Character

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Akutagawa's "Rashōmon" delves deeply into the intricate connection between setting and character, expertly portraying how a landscape shaped by catastrophe influences human behavior. The story situates itself in twelfth-century Kyoto, a city once vibrant, now reduced to ruin by a series of natural calamities—earthquakes, tornadoes, and fires—compounded by an ever-present famine. Yet, the narrative emphasizes that the physical devastation is mirrored by a profound spiritual emptiness. Amidst this backdrop of decay, the citizens, driven by the harsh demands of survival, resort to dismantling sacred Buddhist icons, selling their remnants as firewood. This act symbolizes the erosion of moral values, as spirituality is commodified in sheer desperation.

Akutagawa vividly captures this moral disintegration through the story's characters. The servant, for instance, embodies the pervasive struggle between maintaining ethical integrity and ensuring physical survival. His decision to steal a kimono starkly reflects the actions of the broader community, suggesting that in times of crisis, people may repurpose even the sacred to stay alive. Through this, Akutagawa illustrates a poignant truth: extreme circumstances often compel individuals to forsake morality, treating it as a mere resource among many in the quest for survival. Thus, "Rashōmon" masterfully intertwines setting with character, showcasing how environments of despair can profoundly shape human decisions and ethics.

Decay and Immorality

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Rashōmon stands as a potent symbol of both physical decay and the moral erosion infecting the city it represents. This once-majestic gate now crumbles under the weight of neglect, its peeling paint and weathered columns testifying to the passage of time and the abandonment of civic pride. Within its shadowy recesses, feral animals roam alongside thieves, and unclaimed corpses lie forgotten. This grim tableau is only disturbed by the cawing of crows, which feast upon the lifeless remains, adding to the ambiance of desolation.

Akutagawa's portrayal of Rashōmon underscores a chilling cycle of predation and desperation. The crows, indifferent to human suffering, symbolize the unrelenting harshness of nature. An old woman scavenges from the deceased, stripping them of dignity in her quest for survival. Her actions mirror those of a dead woman who once took advantage of her customers. In a desperate twist, the servant, driven by the same primal instinct to endure, turns against the old woman. Each character, ensnared in this relentless cycle, preys upon another, each step dictated by the pressing need to survive in a world that offers scant support.

The servant’s plight serves as a microcosm of broader societal decay. His dismissal likely stems from his master's own financial struggles, highlighting the pervasive impact of survival instincts in times of scarcity. Rashōmon, with its crumbling facade and ominous atmosphere, encapsulates the erosion of moral and social order, where survival supersedes ethics, and the line between predator and prey blurs in a landscape of despair.

Desolation and Insignificance

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The imagery within Akutagawa’s portrayal of Rashōmon conveys a profound sense of desolation and decay. The environment is depicted with overgrown tall weeds overtaking the landscape, crumbling stone steps bearing silent witness to the passage of time, and unsightly white bird droppings marking the once-proud structure. These details vividly illustrate Kyoto’s decline, painting a picture of a city where the servant’s recent dismissal seems almost inconsequential. Against this backdrop of physical deterioration, the individual's plight is dwarfed by the broader cultural and moral collapse engulfing the city.

Adding layers to this tapestry of gloom, the narrative unfolds in the dim light of dusk—a time traditionally linked with death and uncertainty—while a relentless, steady rain forces the servant to seek refuge. Akutagawa masterfully combines these elements into a single sentence, weaving the oppressive atmosphere of the...

(This entire section contains 186 words.)

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setting: “As evening descended, a low cloud, dark and foreboding, loomed heavily above the corner rooftiles.” This sentence encapsulates the weighty sense of impending doom that permeates the scene, highlighting how nature itself seems to conspire with the narrative’s themes of decay and insignificance.

Moral Conflict and Responsibility

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Amidst the oppressive atmosphere of a decaying city, the servant finds himself ensnared in a web of despair and moral ambiguity. The bleakness of his surroundings permeates his thoughts, leaving him cold, wet, and famished, with little hope of securing employment. The specter of starvation looms large, and he perceives theft as his sole lifeline. However, a significant internal conflict ensues as he grapples with his conscience. Though his circumstances seem to justify such drastic measures, he is paralyzed by fear—a cowardice that binds him to inaction despite his quick mental resolve to resort to stealing.

The servant’s hesitance is compounded by his fear of the supernatural, as evidenced by his instinctive grip on the sword at his side. It is not until he encounters a frail old woman, rather than a formidable adversary, that he finds the resolve to act. Yet, before he can bring himself to attack, he needs to morally condemn the old woman's actions to justify his impending crime. This mental gymnastics allows him to frame his decision as one motivated by righteous indignation rather than desperation.

In painting the servant as a man seeking both a defenseless target and a moral pretext, the narrative underscores his weakness. He is a man driven by circumstances, yet perpetually hindered by his inability to come to terms with his own moral choices. The environment, harsh and unforgiving as it is, serves as the stage for his moral quandary, yet it fails to absolve him of responsibility. His attempt to equate his contemplated crime with the actions of the old woman and her deceased victim exposes a deeper truth: the servant is not simply a product of his environment but an agent of his own moral decisions. The story thus delves into the complexities of moral conflict and the inescapable burden of personal responsibility, painting a compelling portrait of a man at odds with both his world and his conscience.

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