Generally speaking, we often at times look for an easy alternative. Or find ourselves mystified by an individual’s persona or attitude. In the short story “Bewitched,” the protagonist, Toyo-o, is left in a naive state trying to build a sense of autonomy. However, as he becomes attracted to this alleged female character, Manago, he is blinded by her outer appeal that he fails to realize what she really embodies. This leads him to take her in wedlock within his second encounter with her. “Confucius said ‘Even a mountain of love crumbles.’ And as for myself, how can I help but overlook my obligations to filial piety and sacrifice myself for your sake?” Literally, this plot line has no plausibility in a sense where he extends one act of kindness and all of a sudden their both in deep love with each other. It correlates in the photo because even after she got arrested for all her thievery, he still saw the innocence that she originally displayed and “Toyo-o……….. became less and less intransigent and more attached to her than ever, and finally he pledged her eternal love.” Despite all that he went through, the facade that she gave off proved to overcompensate, her ulterior motives in pursuing him.
Zakari,
Your comments get at one of the most difficult questions raised by “Bewitched.” How do we make sense of Toyo-o’s choice to continue to be involved with Manago even after he has every reason to suspect that she is not who/what she claims to be? The photograph you chose reminds us of how powerful external appearance is in the story and how dazzled Toyo-o was by Manago’s beautiful exterior.
Nice selection!
JS
This picture is extremely accurate at depicting the relationship that manago has with Toyo-o. Initially hooking Toyo-o’s interest with her looks, Manago ended up deceiving him because she is not really who she claimed to be. This picture accurately describes that by showing how not everything that looks one way is that way.
I like how you tied-up the quote of “remember all that glitters is not gold” between Toyo-o and Monago. The meme has clearly conclude the meaning behind the story; what Toyo-o perceived everything about Monago was not true but turned out as a mirage was “bewitched” by her.