Post by Alexis Iguina on Nov 4, 2015 19:02:13 GMT
I think the quote "An onnagata is the child born of the illicit union between dream and reality" means that an Onnagta can only exist when the male actor successfully allures, seduces and entice his audience, especially the male audience. By doing so, he obscures the boundaries that define men and women in society.
Through the character Masuyama, we see that the "dream" is created as he often mentions his admiration for Mangiku's femininity. Masuyama's meticulous descriptions of Mangiku's appearance and presence both on-stage and back-stage is so vivid that the reader can't help but think that he is falling in love every time he see's Mangiku. It doesn't help that Mangiku exhibits his characters even after the performance is over. In fact, Masuyama joined Kabuki theatre to rid himself of his fascination with this artistry but could not. For example, on page 294, when he recalls Manigiku's performance in the Snow Princess, we learned he saw the play 10 times "but no matter how often he repeated this experience, his intoxication did not diminish." One would think going behind scenes would diminish the intoxication, disillusion him but in fact Masuyama mentioned that the dressing room created a charming sanctuary where men could sense the presence of the opposite sex, when in fact there were no women. Moreover, he compared the aura of Mangiku's room to that of real girls, calling there femininity suffocating as they "sprawled about like animals in a zoo."
However, the reality is that Mangiku is simply an actor. He is not the characters the audience is attracted to, although he continues to act like them outside the play. He is a human with his own desires. This is clearly exhibited in his pursuit of Kawasaki. Kawasaki, the modern director, is unfamiliar with Kabuki; yet one of the greats in Kabuki is attracted to him. In the end, when Masuyama see's the two go away to eat dinner he is disillusioned. Mangiku who often portrays delicate females holds the umbrella to protect Kawasaki from the snow. In this way he reveals his masculinity by following a convention in dating.
One reason why the union is illicit because it is emotionally manipulating. People are moved by what is not real and act upon it, wasting their efforts. For Masuyama he became jealous in the end over a person who was created by Manguki's abilities. He had feelings for the onnagata, not Mangiku. Another reason is that Masuyama is a man of education. Thus he is aware of what Japanese society demands of him as male. Yet, he was seduced by Kabuki theatre and worked in it for the sake of an illusion. Instead he could have used his education for business pursuits.
Question: Why did Kawasaki misinterpret Mangiku's obedience?
Through the character Masuyama, we see that the "dream" is created as he often mentions his admiration for Mangiku's femininity. Masuyama's meticulous descriptions of Mangiku's appearance and presence both on-stage and back-stage is so vivid that the reader can't help but think that he is falling in love every time he see's Mangiku. It doesn't help that Mangiku exhibits his characters even after the performance is over. In fact, Masuyama joined Kabuki theatre to rid himself of his fascination with this artistry but could not. For example, on page 294, when he recalls Manigiku's performance in the Snow Princess, we learned he saw the play 10 times "but no matter how often he repeated this experience, his intoxication did not diminish." One would think going behind scenes would diminish the intoxication, disillusion him but in fact Masuyama mentioned that the dressing room created a charming sanctuary where men could sense the presence of the opposite sex, when in fact there were no women. Moreover, he compared the aura of Mangiku's room to that of real girls, calling there femininity suffocating as they "sprawled about like animals in a zoo."
However, the reality is that Mangiku is simply an actor. He is not the characters the audience is attracted to, although he continues to act like them outside the play. He is a human with his own desires. This is clearly exhibited in his pursuit of Kawasaki. Kawasaki, the modern director, is unfamiliar with Kabuki; yet one of the greats in Kabuki is attracted to him. In the end, when Masuyama see's the two go away to eat dinner he is disillusioned. Mangiku who often portrays delicate females holds the umbrella to protect Kawasaki from the snow. In this way he reveals his masculinity by following a convention in dating.
One reason why the union is illicit because it is emotionally manipulating. People are moved by what is not real and act upon it, wasting their efforts. For Masuyama he became jealous in the end over a person who was created by Manguki's abilities. He had feelings for the onnagata, not Mangiku. Another reason is that Masuyama is a man of education. Thus he is aware of what Japanese society demands of him as male. Yet, he was seduced by Kabuki theatre and worked in it for the sake of an illusion. Instead he could have used his education for business pursuits.
Question: Why did Kawasaki misinterpret Mangiku's obedience?
