Post by Ariella Crisano on Sept 17, 2015 3:07:30 GMT
I believe that the different relationships between kojuro and the Bears, and kojuro and the shop Keeper relate to the order of things that the narrator describes on of 108. "Kojuro should get the better of the bears, that the shopkeeper should get the better of kojuro, and that the bears - but since the shopkeeper lives in the town, the bears couldn't get the better of him, for the moment at least."
Kojuro has no job or skill and therefore must kill the bears to make money. To do so, he has to "better" the bears. And the shopkeeper knows that this is all kojuro has, so he bests him and rips him off. The only one who doesn't get to have any redemption in this cycle irate the bears. Kojuro gets ripped off and feels guilty for killing the bears, and the bears have to die for no reason. However, the difference is, kojuro treats the bears with genuine respect, while he treats the shopkeeper with fear and acts the way you're supposed to act. It's not real respect, he just does it for survival.
When he kills the bears he always apologizes and says that it has to be this way.
I also believe that the bear that kills him, is a reincarnated bear that he previously killed. He once tells one of the bears to not come back as a bear so that they don't have to suffer this fate that's bestowed upon them. But I believe this bear came back so that he would finally be able to get the better of somebody as no bear had been able to do.
My question is what was the importance (if any) of the story of the mother bear and her cub?
Kojuro has no job or skill and therefore must kill the bears to make money. To do so, he has to "better" the bears. And the shopkeeper knows that this is all kojuro has, so he bests him and rips him off. The only one who doesn't get to have any redemption in this cycle irate the bears. Kojuro gets ripped off and feels guilty for killing the bears, and the bears have to die for no reason. However, the difference is, kojuro treats the bears with genuine respect, while he treats the shopkeeper with fear and acts the way you're supposed to act. It's not real respect, he just does it for survival.
When he kills the bears he always apologizes and says that it has to be this way.
I also believe that the bear that kills him, is a reincarnated bear that he previously killed. He once tells one of the bears to not come back as a bear so that they don't have to suffer this fate that's bestowed upon them. But I believe this bear came back so that he would finally be able to get the better of somebody as no bear had been able to do.
My question is what was the importance (if any) of the story of the mother bear and her cub?