Paper #2: Through a Glass Darkly, due Friday March 24th!

PROMPT: Akutgawa’s stories are like Surrealist versions of reality: they seem strange and exotic, yet they are distressingly familiar to our day-to-day existence,  just slightly askew. From the obsessed painter in “Hell Screen” to the liberated executive in “Horse Legs,” each of these stories are parables of a world poised between old-world values and new-world aspirations. Even today, in the 21^st century, we cling to tradition while trying to define ourselves on social media. So how can these stories help us see ourselves through a distorted mirror to the ‘truth’ of our modern existence?

CHOOSE ONE of the following passages to compare to a real-world situation in your own life, or in the world around you, that this passage could illustrate or analyze. In other words, how could this ‘imaginary’ passage actually be a metaphor for characters and situations we see right outside our window? Be sure to explain the passage in your paper, and compare it to a situation where the passage works as a ‘lens’ to reveal a hidden truth about the ‘real world.’

ONE: Somehow or other, E’in too began to feel that the dragon would actually ascend—thought at first, it was more a feeling that he could not be certain it would not…Could it be that the feeling shared by the many spectators came at some point to possess Storenose himself? Or might it be that he felt so guilty about the uproar he had caused…that, before he knew it, he had begun wishing with all his might that a dragon really would ascend for him?” (35).

TWO: “As a rule, I can only paint what I have seen. Or even if I succeed in painting something unknown to me, I myself cannot be satisfied with it. This is the same as not being able to paint it, does not His Lordship agree?... “Which would mean that if you wanted to paint a screen depicting hell, you would have to have seen hell itself.”” (63).

THREE: “How could I possibly force this master of mine into retirement for the sake of the “House”—a mere name?...And yet, if I let my master have his way, the House is not the only thing that will perish. Terrible things may happen to my master himself as well. In calculating what is best for everyone, the policy adopted by Rin’emon was undoubtedly the wisest—indeed, the only course to take. I see that perfectly well. And yet, for me it is an impossibility” (99).

FOUR: “It was a truly disappointing way to die. Fortunately, however, society rarely offers critical comment regarding the way a person dies. The way a person lives is what evokes criticism. Thus it was that Hanzaburo managed to avoid disparaging commentary. Far from it: without exception, his superiors and colleagues expressed their deepest sympathies to the widowed Tsuneko” (131).

REQUIREMENTS

• No page limit,  but enough to create a meaningful conversation between the passage and your real-world example
• Quote/discuss the passage in  your paper and make sure we understand its context
• Be specific with your real-world example: don’t just say “this is like how people are trying to be successful,” etc. If possible, find an actual example from your own life, or the media, or even another film or book. Make us SEE the connection.
• DUE FRIDAY, MARCH 24^th BY 5pm