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Post by Caden Hong on Sept 2, 2015 20:20:27 GMT
“Sansho the Steward” seems to emphasize on the importance of hope and perseverance. Despite the number of hardships and losses Zushio faces, it all washes away in the end because he reunites with his mother as a successful, wealthy young man. Without such values, Zushio would not have been able to walk on the path that he did. Another lesson for the children can be found where the author puts a lot of weight on what the mother said to her children before they get separated: “…always take care of your guardian amulet,… always keep with you the sword your father gave you” (8). Anju and Zushio listens to their mom, which helps them on various occasions. The amulet healed the horrible branding Anju and Zushio faced, whether it was in real life or in their dream, and it also helped to heal the Chief Advisor’s daughter. This amulet also allows Zushio to get identified as a son of an important figure, which helps him rise up financially, socially, and politically. If they did not listen to their mother’s last words before they got separated, they would not have been able to meet the right people and advance in life as Zushio did after running away.
I don’t think the storyline would have changed much if it was written in Korean. As it was the case in the original story written in Japanese, I feel that in Korean as well, Anju would have been sacrificed to let Zushio escape. It may be a reflection of how important sons were in the Eastern Asian cultures during the time period it was written (but this isn’t to say that non-Eastern Asian countries and cultures were much different when it came to gender hierarchy during that time period).
Was Anju’s sacrifice necessary? Would the siblings have been able to escape together if they tried? What stopped Anju from running away with Zushio?
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Post by I Lam on Sept 2, 2015 20:56:04 GMT
Anju was the first to become 'enlightened', or at least a follower of faith, so it seemed. Since she believed in the Buddha, she became unfazed by the notion of death, so perhaps to her, it wasn't so much a sacrifice as it was finishing her role, and pushing Zushio toward his destiny. Without her running beside him and with saving her after finding father in mind, Zushio was able to give his all to reaching the pagoda and asking for asylum. The discovery of Anju's suicide probably also delayed the chase by Sansho's household. But I do wonder, given her sex, would the temple given Anju asylum if she had gone with Zushio and they'd both made it?
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Post by Cindy Xia on Sept 2, 2015 22:05:00 GMT
I don't think that her sacrifice was necessary but not saying it didn't help. She probably didn't want him to think about her throughout his journey of find his father and mother. Like what I Lam said, I believe that she didn't want him to think about her and put everything he has to find his parents. If she were to escape with him, she may bring him down or vice versa. Without her, Zushio would be able to travel faster alone since there isn't another person there.
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Post by Airy Yeh on Sept 2, 2015 23:34:51 GMT
I wish Anju wouldn't have sacrificed herself and it definitely was not necessary in my opinion as a person living in a different time period and culture. However, Anju lived in a time in Japan when one thought that taking their own life was better off than facing embarrassment for the family or clan. Perhaps she felt that sacrificing herself was a reasonable option for her and that she had the choice to end her own life. Perhaps she could not imagine a brighter future for herself after having gone through what she did. I also imagine that the "branding" experience had an impact on her and I think she was made aware of the possibility of hurting or staggering Zushio's escape. She probably thought of leaving together but would not have wanted any mistake to occur for Zushio's escape. I think that Anju could have lived and it's terrible that she sacrificed herself. But as a story I think her sacrifice added weight to it and made Zushio's reunion with the mother more significant and poignant than if she had lived because now that Anju is gone it is just Zushio and the mother and Zushio's life sort of represents Anju's.
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Post by qian lin on Sept 3, 2015 16:49:37 GMT
I also think about this question. I think Anju is older than her brother Zushio, so she is more responsible for their fate and she is more possible to sacrifice herself to save her brother's life. I think it is not necessary to lose a life in order to save one's life. I think it is a extreme behavior that Anju got suicide. I think Anju needs to think about a way that they can escape together because it is better to escape together than escaping alone. o heAlso, Anju needs to think other ways to help them escape together. They also can wait until they have enough resources to escape together. Why does Anju need to use sucidal behavior to escape. Anju might not think about other solutions.Anju needs to think about that her life is also very important. The suicidal behavior of Anju shows that the importance of her brother's life and her family's reunion. She is not that important than these things. I think in Japan, the older protect the younger and the younger obeys the older. Also, the girl is taught to sacrifice themselves for the family. I think Anju might think once she escapes with her brother, they might be caught easily because the disappearance of two people is easily recognized than one person.
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Post by Hiba Rashid on Sept 4, 2015 2:56:53 GMT
While reading through this story, I also asked myself the same question. I believe the strongest force that prevented Anju from escaping with Zushio was her faith. She was the elder of the siblings and possessed the amulet for the entire time, prior to her death. This contributed to her ability to embrace Buddhist values quickly (in comparison to her brother) and gain a peace of mind. She conveys that through her sudden change in behavior and speech in her last few days. As she embraces Buddhism, she lessens the value of her own life and becomes more concerned with resolving her brother's sufferings (and parents, if both were presumably alive). At this point, she probably felt complete and at peace with herself enough to enter a better world after death. It is as if she had completed her role in the world. Perhaps if she stayed with her brother, she may have been a burden on him. I also believe that Anju guides Zushio towards faith by giving him the amulet and telling him about the temple. She believes in her faith so strongly that she knows if Zushio follows that path, he will gain freedom and enlightenment too. She does not really have to stick around to watch that future unveil.
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