The Novel’s Author
Yasunari Kawabata
was born in Osaka on June 11, 1899 into a cultured family. His father was a
physician who died when he was three; the next year his mother died, and
Kawabata went to live with his grandparents. When he was eight, his grandmother
died, and in 1914 his grandfather died. He was thus constantly confronted with
the death of members of his family, and it is thought that this experience left
its mark on the writer, who often dwells on the problem of death or loneliness
of life. (Liukkonen & Pesonen,
2008)
Kawabata was a
distinguished Japanese novelist who won the Nobel Prize
in literature for exemplifying in his writings the
Japanese mind. He was awarded the Nobel Prize
for literature in 1968. Kawabata published his most famous novel, originally
entitled Yukiguni (The
Snow Country) in 1938. Some of his famous works include: Senbazuru (A Thousand Cranes,
1952), Ama-No Oto (The
Sound of the Mountains, 1954), Utsukushisa-to Kanashimi-to
(Beauty and Sadness, 1965).
He committed suicide by gassing
himself in Zushi, Kanagawa Japan on April 16, 1972. A number of close
associates, including his widow, consider his death to have been accidental.
Many theories have been advanced as to his reasons, among them poor health: a
possible illicit love affair or the shock caused by the suicide of his friend Yukio Mishima
in 1970. But unlike Mishima, Kawabata left no note, and since he had not
discussed significantly in his writings the topic of taking his own life, his
motives remain unclear. (Wikipedia 2009)
The Novel’s Overview
The story of Shimamura, and a geisha, Komako happens in an isolated
location; a hot spring resort in a town called the “Snow Country”. The hot
springs in that region are home to inns, visited by men traveling alone and in
groups, where paid female companionship has become an economy. The geisha of
the hot springs enjoyed nothing like the social status of the more
artistically-trained geishas in Kyoto and Tokyo, and were usually little more than prostitutes whose
brief careers inevitably ends to failure.
Komako, a young talented geisha who hones her technique on the
traditional samisen
instrument by untraditionally relying on music sheets and radio broadcasts--falls
in love with Shimamura, a wealthy loner who is a self-appointed expert on
Western ballet
but had never seen one. The two try to love but love can never bring them
together. The nearer they are, the further apart they become. Shimamura is
quite incapable to love, in one of the scenes in the novel, he comments that, “the publishing gentleman would be happy if
he knew he had a real geisha—not just an ordinary amateur—practicing from his
scores way off here in the mountains.” He always builds himself a half-cynical,
half wishful dream world, described as follows:
In the depths of the mirror the evening
landscape moved by, the mirror and the reflected figures like motion pictures
superimposed one on the other. The figures and the background were unrelated,
and yet the figures, transparent and intangible, and the background, dim in the
gathering darkness, melted into a sort of symbolic world not of this world.
Particularly when a light out in the mountains shone in the center of the
girl's face, Shimamura felt his chest rise at the inexpressible beauty of it.
The love affair
between Shimamura and Komako is somewhat doomed from the start because of
several conflicts in their lives and most especially the cultural constraints
that they are facing. Through Komako, Shimamura is drawn to the character of
Yoko who is also a hot spring geisha which he also finds attractive. Yoko is
somewhat the rival of Komako— before to Yokio, a man who is already dead, and
now, to the heart of Shimamura who is unable to take neither of the two because
of too many concerns and confusions.
The final scene of
the novel brings Komako staggering from the burning warehouse with Yoko who is
endured. This leaves the reader uncertain of what will happen to the love
affair of Shimamura and Komako. Will Shimamura go back to the city with Komako,
or not? Is Yoko still alive, or not? Will he be able to choose one between the
two, or not?
Analysis
Introduction:
According to Judith Fetterley
as cited by Lombardi (2000), "Feminist criticism is a political act whose
aim is not simply to interpret the world but to change it by changing the
consciousness of those who read and their relation to what they read."
According to Lombardi (2000), using feminist criticism to analyze fiction may
involve studying the repression of women in fiction. How do men and women
differ? What is different about female heroines, and why are these characters
important in literary history? In addition to many of the questions raised by a
study of women in literature, feminist criticism also study stereotypes,
creativity, ideology, racial issues, and marginality. These are the focus of my
analysis.
The principles of
the Second Wave Feminism reflected in the work of Kate Millett on her book
entitled “Theory of Sexual Politics” (1969), was utilized to interpret the
text. Generally, the Second Wave Feminism is concerned with the liberation of
women and the improvement of their rights (as well as their reproductive
rights) through political actions. The analysis is divided into two presentations,
the first focuses on the negative aspects while the second focuses on the
positive aspects of the roles of women in the society, the good and bad facets
of their lives in the present day, and their interaction with the society as
reflected in novel, “The Snow Country”.
Women Demeaned:
In the novel, women are
tagged as weaklings. Komako, a woman, addressed Kikuyu, another woman this way:
“Kikuyu was weak. A Weakling.” (p. 98)
They are the ones who always cry and are often left out helpless, while men in
contrast are the stronger and the dominant specie. Crying, being a sign of weakness has been
manifested by the women characters in the novel. One of the lines that manifest
this idea goes this way:
She (Komako) started to smile through the
thick geisha’s powder. Instead she melted into tears and the two of them walk
off silently toward his room. (p.15)
Women’s helplessness as a sign of being weak was also manifested as
the story reveals the reason why Komako was in tears:
In spite of what had passed between them,
he had not written to her, or come to see her, or sent her the dance
instructions he had promised. She was no doubt left to think that he had
laughed at her and forgotten her. (p. 15)
“The entire culture supports masculine authority in all areas of life
...” (Millett 1969). This statement is true in several scenarios in the novel,
whereas, for many times, men’s authority over women has been capitalized in the
story. In Shimamura’s first acquaintance with Komako, he commanded that she
calls a geisha for him. And when Komako refused to obey, he ordered “You call
someone for me.” The argument went on and the following dialogue was presented:
“Call any geisha you like?”
“But isn’t that exactly what I’m asking you
to do? I’ve never been here before and I’ve no idea which geisha are the best
looking.”
“What do you consider good looking?”
“Someone young… And someone who doesn’t
talk too much. Clean and not too quick…” (p. 21)
This dialogue, aside from highlighting men’s authority also
manifests several restrictions on women, this affirms Millett’s claim that
“Implicit in all the gender identity development which takes place through
childhood is the sum total of the parents', the peers', and the culture's
notions of what is appropriate to each gender by way of temperament, character,
interests, status, worth, gesture, and expression.” And since Shimamura was
asked of what he considers good looking, then he enumerated the “gender
identity” that fits for women, an identity that limits her freedom and
potentials.
Women are also presented as sex objects for men in the novel. The
“sex role”, which Millett is criticizing that according to her, “decrees a
consonant and highly elaborate code of conduct, gesture and attitude for each
sex,” wherein women is the victim, is manifested in the following scenario:
Simamura’s arm was around her (Komako) neck
so tight that her hair was rumpled against his cheek. He thrust a hand inside
the neck of her kimono. He added coaxing words…She no longer resisted, however.
Giving herself up to his hands…(p. 34-35)
According to Millett (1969) “reinforcement is evident in producing
the chief ‘feminine’ virtue of passivity.” In this scenario, Shimamura
reinforced feminine passivity by his persistence in pursuing the breast of Komako,
and along with the movement of his hand, he backed it up with insinuating words
so that the woman will not resist, until he finally succeeded.
The novel also disclosed a reality that it is not only the male
gender that reinforces feminine passivity; on a larger scale, it is the
society. This idea is realized in the event when Shimamura and Komako are
running toward the fire:
He ran after her as fast as he could.
She slow down and took his hand, and the
long skirts fell to the ground. “You are going to?”
“Yes.”
“Always looking for excitement.” She
clutched at her skirt and now trailing over the snow. “But people will
laugh. Please go back.”
“Just a little further.”
“But its wrong. People wont like it if I
will take you to a fire.” (p. 166)
Considering the remarks of Komako on what will be the reaction of
people if they will be seen together holding hands in public. Her fear of
judgment or better, fear of criticism, reinforced her passiveness that she
conformed to the dictates of the norms and did not pursue the act that she
desires. Oftentimes in the novel, Komako was also bound with the fear of being
noticed by others, even by servants, most especially when she visits the room
of Shimamura. Such scenario limits women’s liberty and pursuit of happiness,
which according to John Locke is man’s “Unalienable Rights”.
Conclusion:
It is obvious that the women characters in the novel as geishas who are
almost merely prostitutes and are not enjoying social prestige compared to
geishas in other parts of Japan, manifest the undeniable fact in our society
and around the world that some women, even if we are already in the modern era,
are still bound in the chains of ignorance and are still vulnerable victims of
abuse and inequality. “Women encounter daily personal contacts, the impressions
gathered from the images and media about them, and the discrimination in
matters of behavior, employment, and education which they endure makes life
difficult for women.” (Millet, 1969) Let us do something about it.
Women Worshiped:
On the other hand,
the novel also placed women in the pedestal. This is in response to Judith
Fetterley’s “political act whose aim is not simply to interpret the world but
to change it by changing the consciousness of those who read and their relation
to what they read." According to Delahoyde (2009) Feminist
criticism concerns itself with stereotypical representations of genders, the
novel dismantles some of this stereotypes.
In Japanese culture or in the Philippines and even in most countries
in the world, women are expected to be obedient to men. They should not ask
questions or raise an opposition whenever the man in the house speaks, but in
the novel, the character of Komako has never been quiet, she was very
persistent in voicing out her clamors, some of her dialogues that prove this point are
as follows:
“Why
do you expect me to do that?” (p. 20)
“I’ll
not come again…You’ve said enough.” (p. 21)
“It’s
not my fault. It’s yours. You lost. You’re the weak one. Not I.” (p. 37)
For an instance, the character of Komako even seems to possess
authority over Shimamura. This idea is conveyed in the following line:
“Get up. Get up when a person tells you
to.”
“Which do you want me to do?”
“Alright, go to sleep.” (p. 36)
“I’m going home.” (p. 78)
“Its wrong for you to say such things. Get
up. Get up, I tell you.” (p. 79)
“Forgive and forget? You don’t understand.
You don’t understand at all.” (p. 83)
“But I don’t want to. I don’t want to see
man die.” (p. 84)
The beauty of women, not only physical, but also their intellectual
capability and talents was highlighted in the novel. This was manifested when
Shimamura got spellbound with Komoko’s musical prowess:
“I’ve been practicing this one since last
fall.”
A chill swept over Shimamura. The goose
flesh seemed to rise even in his cheeks. The first notes open a transparent
emptiness deep in his entrails, and in his emptiness the sound of the samisen
reverberated. He was startled—or better, he fell back as under a well aimed
bow. Taken with a feeling almost of reverence, washed by waves of remorse,
defenseless, quite deprived of strength—there was nothing for him to do but
give himself up to the current, to the pleasure, of being swept off wherever
Komako would take him. (p. 71)
Woman was also presented as a person being remembered by children,
in the case of Komako it was her beauty that made her memorable to Kimi, the
two year old daughter of the innkeeper.
“Whenever the child sees a geisha she calls
out Komako…When shee sees someone with her hair done in the old way, that’s
Komako too. Children can tell when you like them…” (p. 75)
According to Greig (1991) women are emotional beings while men are
sensual. The last part of the dialogue affirms this claim.
Komako, unlike the typical Japanese woman who are traditional and
conservative had proven to be more liberated. She was not ashamed to visit the
room of Shimamura, she is not afraid to show her passion and affection for him
and she has a more complex perspective about the thing around her, talking
about Kikuyu, Shimamura said:
“Maybe there was nothing else she could
do.” She answered, “But isn’t it so? You can’t go losing your head over every
man that likes you.” (p. 98)
Being open to possibilities and not conforming to the options being
offered by the society’s expectation of a woman is a good manifestation of
strength.
Care is one of the good qualities of women especially inside the
house. A famous maxim says, “The key to a man’s heart is his stomach.” This
could then be utilized by women positively for their personal goals. This was
manifested in the following passage from the novel: It might be deemed
negatively as limiting women in the four corners of the house but, notably, the
will of Komako upon doing such is clearly spelled out:
“There are four little children, and the
place is a terrible clutter, I spend the whole day picking things up. I know
everything will be thrown down again as soon as my back is turned, but somehow
I can’t help myself. I want to be as clean and neat as the place will let me.”
(p. 103)
This passage manifest a woman’s flexibility, that today, even if
they are busy like men, they can still manage to do household chores with
efficiency, a characteristic that men do not possess.
Conclusion:
Finally, Komako presented an empowered woman. She is undeniably
beautiful and gorgeous and multi talented, she works and she lives a life. She
is true to herself and to people around her. Even though her life is not
perfect, that darkness sometimes prevails, she never failed to fight. These ideas
are most visible in the following lines:
“I sometimes think it will be easier to
break away from him if I were to be really bad. I honestly think so
sometimes…But I won’t be up to it. It’s not in my nature. I’m fond of this body
I live in. If I tried, I could cut my four years down to two, but I don’t
strain myself. I take care of myself…” (p. 107)
REFERENCES:
Delahoyde, Michael. (2009) Introduction
to Literature. Retrieved at
http://www.wsu.edu/~delahoyd/feminist.crit.html
Greig, Gary S. (1991) Issues
from the edge. USA: Gaspel Light Publications.
Liukkonen, Petri & Pesonen,
Ari. (2009) Yasunari Kawabata. Retrieved at
Millett, Kate,
(1969) Theory of Sexual Politics. Retrieved at:
http://marxistsfr.org/reference/subject/philosophy/works/us/millett.htm
Yasunari, Kawabata. (1972) Snow country. NY: Vintage Books.
