Does “Bewitched” have anything to teach its readers? If so, what? What is Akinari’s message in this text?
The story, “Bewitched” teaches its readers that appearance can be deceiving which is why if people want to be strong-minded, they must learn to control their mind and avoid their temptations. When Toyo-o met Manago, he instantly felt attracted to her and called this attraction ‘love’ without questioning her mysterious background. However, even though Toyo-o does have a naive character throughout the story, his family was also deceived by Manago’s appearance, “even though Toyo-o was not convinced, they themselves welcomed her into their household and provided her with a room”(642). In this quote, after his arrest, Toyo-o became more doubtful about Manago’s honesty yet his parents also fell into the trap of trusting Manago’s elegant looks. Akinari is, therefore, trying to say that many people fall into this trap of trusting wrong individuals.
Following a religion might be another lesson that the Akinari wanted to teach. His viewpoint can be analyzed from the statement that an old man said to Toyo-o at the picnic incident, “you must develop a more manly, a more determined spirit, which you now lack, in order to repulse it…You must never yield to temptations of passion and lust”(644). In this quote, the man says that passion and lust are human temptations that must be avoided if one wants to have a strong spirit. In a sense, this can also be seen as a request for Toyo-o to become a close follower of his religion. In the religion of Buddhism, for example, one belief says that suffering is caused by selfishness and personal desire, which is similar to what the old man’s message. Thus, if people want to be strong-minded, Akinary might be saying that religion such as Buddhism can help to teach them how to avoid their desires.
