In my world literature course last semester, we read short stories from around the globe (as the name would imply!). One Japanese story, Late Chrysanthemum ("Bangiku") by Hayashi Fumiko, was a particularly interesting take on femininity. It was also nice to get a different culture's perspective for a change.
Late Chrysanthemum tells the story of a well-to-do geisha in her mid-50's, Kin. There is a general western misconception that geishas are like Japanese prostitutes. This is not true. They are trained singers, musicians, conversationalists and entertainers in general. While they provide company for men, true geishas don't engage in anything sexual with their clients. That said, Kin was a strong woman in her own right. She dabbled in real estate and was a money-lender. She supported herself financially, choosing not to depend on a man. In fact, she almost had a contempt for men, refusing to provide meals to her male visitor in the story, Tabe. "Domesticity had no appeal for her." At this point in the story, I applauded Kin's willingness to break gender norms.
Unfortunately, as the paragraph went on, my liking for Kin took a major nosedive. She revealed that "nothing held less charm" than a man with no money. No wonder she wouldn't give a meal to Tabe, "in the hope of winning his heart with her cooking." He had no money, and therefore, nothing that interested her. This notion, along with her extreme obsession with her looks, really made me resent her character. While, yes, she admittedly was an autonomous woman, she'd also play her expected feminine roles, when it was beneficial to her. She was a hypocrite.
What really shocked me was that during the class discussion of this story, only one other person (a girl) agreed that Kin was a morally repugnant. The others found her to be some poster child of "Girl Power." If gold-digging geishas are your idea of new femininity, then be my guest...
No comments:
Post a Comment