1. Why do you think Toyo-o continues to be involved with Manago even after he suspects that she is a demon of some sort?
2. Why do you think people (both in the 18th century, when Akinari was writing, and in our own day) are attracted to ghost stories or tales of the supernatural?
3. Does “Bewitched” have anything to teach its readers? If so, what? What is Akinari’s message in this text?
4. The text describes Manago as”bewitchingly voluptuous.” What does the character of Manago tell us about feminine beauty?
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2. Why do you think people (both in the 18th century, when Akinari was writing, and in our own day) are attracted to ghost stories or tales of the supernatural?
I think people were and are still attracted to ghost stories or tales of the supernatural mostly because of entertainment. Although it is an escape from ordinary life, it can also be connected to life. Sometimes ghosts, UFOs, etc. may be depicted as a real life things. I used to watch Ghost Adventures, where people go to random haunted places for ghost hunting to prove that there are ghosts there with voice recorders or motion sensors. It was really interesting and exciting which is probably why I was attracted to it. I used to also watch a lot of horror movies just for the thrill feeling and being shook kind of made me feel alive. Sometimes I hear stories of people seeing their family that passed away and I guess maybe that’s why people think it’s a miracle. I find it kind of strange that what we think of as unrealistic could be real probably because I’ve never experienced anything supernatural.
1. Why do you think Toyo-o continues to be involved with Manago even after he suspects that she is a demon of some sort?
The reason why Toyo-o continued to stay with Manago even after knowing she was a devil was that his sister and her husband assisted Manago in coming back to him and helping her marry Toyo-o as well. In pages 641 and 642, Toyo-o panicked when he came across Manago in the Tanabe store but she tried to woo him back like she did in the beginning of the story. Although he was very doubtful about staying with her again, his sister and her husband were convinced by Manago’s pleading and allowed her to live in their household until Toyo-o began to love her again. Had his sister and brother-in-law not done this, Toyo-o probably wouldn’t have escaped Manago entirely but he wouldn’t have been deceived by her twice. I say that he wouldn’t have avoided Manago entirely if he didn’t marry her because she would’ve found other ways to pursue Toyo-o like she did by possessing Tomiko at the end of the story.
1. Why do you think Toyo-o continues to be involved with Manago even after he suspects that she is a demon of some sort?
After Toyo-o realizes Manago and her maid are demons. Manago persists on her relationship with Toyo-o. When Manago visits Toyo-o (who is currently living with his sister and her husband) her guise is revealed. Despite that, Manago manages to manipulate the people witnessing this and the couple hosting Toyo-o. Manago tells people the lengths she went to love Toyo-o which in turn causes some to sympathize with her despite being a demon. This works on the couple hosting Toyo-o who helps Manago gain Toyo-o’s affections. How she got it exactly is unknown. But the fact that Toyo-o and Manago over a brief course were in close everyday proximity helped. Demon or not, Manago’s current “vessel” at the time still exhumed womanly charms which helped entice Toyo-o. All together, Manago’s persistence, charms, and outside help allowed her to get close enough to Toyo-o to get married.
Why do you think people (both in the 18th century, when Akinari was writing, and in our own day) are attracted to ghost stories or tales of the supernatural?
In all cultures around the world there are many examples of people having an encountered with the supernatural. People are by nature drawn to this thrill and excitement that challenges what they believe in. Though these tales, stories and tv shows we can see this encounter in perspective. It brings our Wildest imagination into life. we grow up listening to these stories and just wonder what if even a tiniest part of it is true. The thought is always at the back of our head even if we don’t believe in such stuff. So when a story shows that thought coming into life people are immediately attracted towards it. We find pleasure watching it and it lets us escape the boring routine of our everyday life. It ends providing this X factor in entertainment that attracts even more audience.
2. Why do you think people (both in the 18th century, when Akinari was writing, and in our own day) are attracted to ghost stories or tales of the supernatural?
Throughout centuries people are being attracted to stories or tales of the supernatural descend for a various number of reasons. One of them can be quite ingenious and involves the purest desire to delight yourself in a completely parallel and sophisticated world of miracles instead of a mediocre live. In the past societies were not as culturally diverse; thus, the stories among different nations were usually based on it ethnic myths of gods, demons, and mythological creatures. The horror stories of various decent mainly used the vision of a connection to the darkness, death, vengeance, and most importantly curse to explain specific disasters. Nowadays, these aspects of stories shifted towards the imagination of demons living among us and causing hysteria in places they inhabit portrayed through various novels, movies, and TV series. However, despite their difference, all of them tend to have the correlated relationship to a physical world as well as specific characteristics and powers. In the case of the story of Akinari, “Bewitched,” the antagonist Manago is a demon like a spirit with powers of shapeshifting, enchantment, and leech (drain of life) that lived among ordinary people. In Japan, she is known as one of the demons that prey on the weak minded people that have the least confidence in themselves.
On the contrary, in other societies around the world nowadays, she might be seen similarly as sirens. The mythological creatures of ancient Greece that used their beauty and voices to enchant their victims at the same time luring them to their demise. Just as sirens Manago indeed used both of this characteristics to attract Toyo-o, a miserable son who was despised by his family for doing nothing profitable those making him least assured about his personal life. In my opinion, Manago and sirens may relate to each other; whereas, both stories consequently involve the experience of sailors as well as their families. Likewise, average students like us exposed to these idea that sirens can shapeshift and live among people through a TV series like “Siren” that in certain ways make an inference that these creatures can live on the land. Lastly, I have never seen this TV series; therefore, I do not have any medications to which extent this show may be related to the story we are reading as well as Greek mythology.
The text describes Manago as”bewitchingly voluptuous.” What does the character of Manago tell us about feminine beauty?
The character of Manago being described as “bewitchingly voluptuous” tells readers that feminine beauty is most sought after by men through physical appeal. The word “bewitchingly” highlights the deceptive qualities superficial appearances give off, and that appearance is just a layer. Manago as a character is a demon and her real traits lie within her motives, her feminine beauty was just a disguise and a seductive hook to achieve her ultimate end goal, which was to drain the life of whoever she lusts for.
In the literal context, the character of Manago is seen as extremely seductive and sexually-appealing. This obviously caught the attention of the protagonist who falls in love with her. This tells readers that beauty in Japan is very superficial and good physical appearances are in demand when it comes to appeal.
2. Why do you think people (both in the 18th century, when Akinari was writing, and in our own day) are attracted to ghost stories or tales of the supernatural?
People are drawn to things they don’t understand because it is a break from their normal lives. Most people live life in a routine which can leave them feeling unfulfilled and unsatisfied with the way they’re spending their life. Ghost stories and tales of the supernatural are not part of a normal person’s life in the 18th century or today which is why they are so interesting and attractive. These stories are an escape from reality which is exciting compared to the normal everyday things people have to deal with.
Q1) why do you think Toyo-o continues to be involved with Manago even after he suspects that she is demon of some sort?
Toyo-o continues to involed with Manago even after he suspects that she is demon of some sort because he fall in love with her and once when he knew the Reality it was hard for him to escape from her because Her beauty blindly attracts him and in his family nobody love or understand him so he needs love. I think that’s why he was keep involving her after he know the reality.
After Toyo-o realizes who Manago and her follower truly are he continues to be involved with Manago most likely because he had fallen in love with her beauty and also because the second time around his sister and her husband assisted Manago in coming back to him and helping her marry Toyo-o as well. Although he was very cautious about staying with her again, his sister and her husband were turned by Manago and allowed her to live in their household until Toyo-o began to fall in love with her again. Had his sister and brother-in-law not interfered, Toyo-o probably wouldn’t have escaped Manago in the long run unless he exorcised her but he wouldn’t have been deceived by her twice.
1. Because Toyo-o hasn’t yet developed strong and firm personality values. He’s character is still boyish and malleable, therefore easy to penetrate by a demon. Toyo-o has to build a stronger personality and be willing to fight the demon so that he may free himself of it.
1) Toyo-o continues to be involved with Manago even after he suspects that she is a demon of some sort because Toyo-o was so attracted by her beauty and he fell in her love that much, that it was impossible for him to come out of that love.
2. Why do you think people (both in the 18th century, when Akinari was writing, and in our own day) are attracted to ghost stories or tales of the supernatural?
In my opinion, as the 18th century in Japan, the president forbade people having trade with other countries, they were restricted in the country and not communicating with the whole world, they are eager to get into knowing more about what the world is happening. Ghosts symbolize the other world. People put their imagination on this ghost to convey their longing to touch the other world.