The Evils of Society
The evils of the society have been growing each day. The literary works of Akutagawa were precise to address these evils. They determined how and why this evil is persistently being progressively toxic to the society and how difficult it is to determine the truth.
Rashomon (Akutagawa 212)
This is a story about a servant in the cold and dwelling in the dark of humanity. The servant has been kicked out from his master's house, and he is starving. He has two choices, either to starve to death or walk in the path of evil. The storms get heavy, and the winds are strong. The author explains the appearance of Sujaku Avenue where he expects a sign of life either from the noblemen or from a few people around the gates. However, he is shocked by the absence of his expectations. Calamities were the order of the day in Kyoto city, the earthquakes and fires had left everything as a leak (Akutagawa 212). The absences of god were felt as people burnt the Buddhist objects and images for warmth, as greed pilled in peoples mind to the extent that they sold gold and silver for firewood. The gates were now the den of animals and are infested with death. The thieves made a living out of the helpless and drove fear to the servant on the thought that he could not cross this place.
Gaining courage and seeing that the storm was getting closer to him through an evil cloud, he realizes he can seek refuge to the dead, as they could not harm him. The servant is in a dilemma on how to make a life for himself the next day. He does not want to break his righteous ways, and yet he does not want to die. The thought of being a thief crop his mind, but he is not sure if he is ready to take the path. He notices a staircase that leads to the top of the tower of the gates. He believes that no one could be present in a place that only stench and the dead 'live.' Surprised, he comes across a woman shaving of corpse hair in justification that even the corpse stole from the living when she was alive. The old woman explains that the ways of the dead were similar to has and she could understand that it was a matter of survival of the fittest. The words open up the servant's mind, and he questions the woman, whether it would be wrong if he stole from her. He steals from the old woman and runs away, living behind what he believed earlier (Akutagawa 215).
In a Grove
The story of a woodcutter questioned by the grand magistrate explains a witness on the stands (Akutagawa 215). The author well explains the judgmental questions of the magistrate over the dead body. He believes that the dead must have bred out leaving behind a stench of black blood, but the woodcutter denies that that was not the case. The woodcutter explains where the scene of the dead body was; he is precise that it was in the dark, deep in the shadows (Akutagawa 216). The environment surrounding the body seems beautiful full of cider trees and bamboos, but there was many evils in the dark. The woodcutter explains that the body was beautifully covered with a hunting rob and the cause of death was a single strike with a sword through the chest. The magistrate feels that there was a presence of a horse but the woodcutter denies him that fact by suggesting that the region was dense for horses.
The story of a traveling priest questioned by the grand magistrate is a story about how life is volatile (Akutagawa 216). The priest explains his encounter with the well-armed man at noon the previous day. He explains that he was leading a horse with a woman on it (Akutagawa 216). The woman covered her face, and all he can recall was the color of the horse and the color of the woman's clothes. The priest is sad that the man was no more.
The story of a police officer questioned by the grand magistrate bases the argument of crime and heroic acts (Akutagawa 216). The police officer is already in conclusion that he arrested Tajomaru bandit. He explains the dressing code and set of feathered arrows were enough proof that the so-called suspect was involved in the killing of Pindola the previous autumn in the temple. He suggests that the suspect targets women, but he also causes harm to men. He also accuses this man of killing a man and the mysterious story of the woman in a gray horse (Akutagawa 216). The magistrate is not fully satisfied with the argument, and he is curious if there will be no further investigation of the matter.
The Story of an Old Woman
The story of an old woman questioned by the grand magistrate (Akutagawa 216). This tale explains the agony that an old woman is going through, out of the death of his son in law Kanazawa. The old woman explains that the young man is twenty-six years of age and was a samurai from Wakasa. She is not sure of what happened to her daughter but she request that all efforts be made to find her. She has her own justification even without investigating that Tajomaru was involved in this mystical tragedy (Akutagawa 217).
Tajomaru's confession is an explanation of the truth and revealing of the mystical death of Kanazawa (Akutagawa 217). Tomajaru explains the desire and love he had towards Kanazawa wife. Tajomaru explains that he had no desire to kill a man but what drove him to his big lie and kidnapping attempt was love (Akutagawa 217). He explains that the argument of the police officer was a lie as the weapon he revealed were not his but he took them from Kanazawa. Tomajaru continues to say that he may have used a sword to kill a man out of love but the people in the society always used money and power to do the same act and this was never described as evil. Tomajaru has an understanding that his actions were meant to be judged but he questions whether it would be justice or not. He believes that it was not his desires to kill but the woman was willing to sacrifice one of them to save her skin. Tomajaru displays the environment and the hidden shadows in the dark with the groves. The reason behind the use of vivid description is to explain what happens in the darkness and who gets the blame. Tomajaru is certain that he will hung in the gallows, but he believes that being fair is giving each person a chance to prove their worth just as he gave Kanazawa a chance to die as a strong man (Akutagawa 218). He explains that he ran after he realized that the woman was missing and probably seeking help. Tomajaru understands that this life was a man for himself and justice was never served.
Kanazawa's Wife's Confession
Kanazawa wife explains her side of the story in deep agony and shame. She suggests that Tomajaru had raped her before running away with her husband's weapons something that he was not sure (Akutagawa 219). She continues to narrate that she killed her husband out of pity and the thought that they would reunite after death. Her husband never gave him a go-ahead to take a life but based on his signs but not words he was okay with death. She says that the husband did not say anything since he was stuffed with leaves but he was disgraced with her for being raped (Akutagawa 219). The woman continues to suggest that she is sad that she could not gather enough courage to take her own life as she promised her husband and she was full of shame.
The Story of the Ghost
The story of the ghost told by a medium explains the tale in another dimension of argument (Akutagawa 219). The ghost of Kanazawa feels betrayed by the wife. It suggests that after being raped by the robber, she suggested that the husband should be killed. The ghost explains that the robber realized that the wife was no saint as her beauty addressed, but she was inhuman causing the act of kicking her down. The thief then turned to the man and asked him what he would request to be done to the wife, but in the grips of the eye, the woman fled and the thief could not get to him. The thief sets Kanazwa free before running for his life. However, due to Kanazawa anger and hatred he takes the wife's dagger and takes his own life (Akutagawa 220).
Works Cited
Akutagawa, Ryunokuse. The Longman Anthrology of World Literature Vol.F. Pearson, 2004. Document.
