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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The text describes Manago as”bewitchingly voluptuous.” What does the character of Manago tell us about feminine beauty?
The literal meaning of “bewitchingly vulumptuous” is cast a spell on and gain control over someone by magic, but the vulumptuos means through luxury or sensual pleasure. Manago teaches us that feminine beauty can distract one from all else. Through the story there were signs that Manga truly was an evil spirit, but what kept toyo-o engaged and still wanting manago was her shear beauty.
. Why do you think Toyo-o continues to be involved with Manago even after he suspects that she is a demon of some sort?
He continues to be with her because he does not want to dissapoint his family in any way possible. He also does not want to be cursed if he breaks it off with Manago or even worse dead because he broke up with her. Later on Toyo-o continues to be involved with Manago because she threatens him if she leaves her his family would suffer. he would rather suffer the pain than Manago cursing the rest of his family.
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?
Tales of supernatural, I think its a curiosity of people that there is something more besides our everyday surroundings. People do not see supernatural activity in their real lives. Both 18th century and today, people are still believes that they can find something unusual and which they relate to themselves. Today’s generation they do not admit believing ghost existence but in mind they are curious and some are afraid of. They have some belief in supernatural activity. From religious point of view each have different opinions about ghost and supernatural act.
I agree. People have a curiosity about the things that could happen to us which is not totally natural and that’s the reason why so many of us like to read about supernatural stuff. It gives the audience something that they aren’t familiar about and it also makes the story unique and special. Now days people don’t really talk about ghost and supernatural things, so reading books about that could be one way of fulfilling the curiosity.
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, both in the 18th century and in today’s modern day, are intrigued by the idea of the unknown, mesmerized by the concept that there’s more to the life we have grown accustomed to, terrified of becoming irrelevant, and enchanted by the power and influence ghost stories and the supernatural exercise over them. The idea that after this life there’s another realm people enter comforts people, makes them feel closer to those they’ve lost, and gives them hope that someone can never truly be gone. In some ways it’s a comfort mechanism for people, it excites them and promises them that they’re soul goes on to another realm. It protects people from the concept of death, in which they are no longer alive and cease to have ever existed in the first place.
3. Does “Bewitched” have anything to teach its readers? If so, what? What is Akinari’s message in this text?
The protagonist in “Bewitched,” Toyo-o, continues to lust after this women that he believes may be a demon. When he first met Manago, he thought it to be “rather unseemly” of her absence of a male escort. He also thought it was strange that her house happened to be the same house he dreamt of the night before.
Even after he went to jail because of this woman’s wrongdoings, he still managed to pledge his “eternal love” for Manago. This leads me to believe that the message Akinari conceals within his text is that love is blind.
Amid all her transgressions, Toyo-o could not fully detach himself from the beauty of Manago. The continuous red flags I mentioned before should have confirmed his beliefs in Manago’s otherworldliness. Eventually, an old man explicit warned him of her evil ways before Toyo-o acted on his thoughts. Nevertheless, this physical attraction he felt caused Tomiko’s downfall in the end and only reiterates the fact that one must not be blind to their lover’s flaws.
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?
First, people desire knowledge. When an unknown thing or a phenomenon appears, it will be more likely to produce nerve impulses in order to accept this phenomenon. Things are more exciting to the brain. The physical expression is interest. Second, everybody has curiosity. Supernatural are unusual. People are prone to curiosity, and curiosity drives people to find what actually happened.
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 from the 18 centuary as we do today were attracted to strange natural behaviors. I believe people in the 18 Centuary tend to believe that magic belongs to the evil, so akinaris writing from supernatural was a tabu that everyone wanted to explore. We are curious and attached to tales, Grimm brothers and Walt Disney created an empire trougout tales that we love and admire. Our brain loves to learn and gets exited by the curiosity that is precented into our eyes. Akinari wrote about supernatural and spooky things that our brains get attracted too. Such as today.
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?
3. Does “Bewitched” have anything to teach its readers? If so, what? What is Akinari’s message in this text?
I think that Toyo-o was attracted to her beauty so much so that he could not resist being with her. Sometimes beauty can be a dangerous thing. I think this is one thing Akinari is trying to teach to his readers. Though beauty is tempting, we humans cannot chase it because even though some things may seem attractive, they can end up being very costly.
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 that people in the 18th century are attracted to ghost stories or tales of the supernatural by their own society and personal belief, etc. First of all, the society around 18th century are not advance in technology, and people believe in rumor and such things that lack of scientific proof. Also, most people around 18th century did not attend higher education. In addition, Japan is a closed country in 18th century because they don’t any new idea to influence their culture, which they stick with their own personal belief, and refuse to accept any innovative concept. All in all, people are just so uneducated and did not expose to advance sciences, and people are still developing their society belief.
Does “Bewitched” have anything to teach its readers? If so, what? What is Akinari’s message in this text?
I think Akinari’s message in this text is that we should abstain from anything that appears to be evil before it’s too late. Although Manago’s physical appearance was eye appealing to Toyo-o, he received hints and signs of her demonic association, yet he stayed with her. If only he would have taken head to the initial signs he received, and the testimonies of others, he would not have gotten so deep into her trap: His love towards her climaxed to the point where he paid for her mistakes and yet, still saw her as a flawless being.
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 believe that people now and back in the 18th century are attracted to ghost stories or tales of the supernatural, because these kind of stores are fun to read and can help you relax and serve as a form of entertainment. These tales of the supernatural are really fun to read, because they can help you escape the real life and let you doze off into a world filled with suspense and thrill. Also, many people like the idea that there is more out there other than just humans so reading a story which deals with things such as ghost and demons would leave you entertained and may even confirm some of your beliefs on the supernatural. In the 18th century there was nothing to really keep you entertained like we have now ( television, computers, etc.) so people would be attracted to stories like “Bewitched”, because it is a short story that can keep you entertained.
– The text describes Manago as “bewitchingly voluptuous.” What does the character of Manago tell us about feminine beauty?
Manago deceives anybody with her enchanting looks as would any beautiful woman would. Feminine beauty can captivate and fool just about anybody for the fact of the matter is that attractiveness can’t go unnoticed. Manago’s beauty made Toyo-o fall in love at first sight. Manago’s fascinating looks had deceived Toyo-o for a second time in the story when he clearly knew she might have been a devil. Feminine beauty can play a big role in situations involving manipulation. Feminine beauty is wonderful to admire but also very dangerous, depending on the intentions of the woman.
The text describes Manago as “bewitchingly voluptuous” What does the character of Manago tell us about feminine beauty？
The writer mentoined many times about Manago’s beauty in the story. Not only just Manago was described as “ bwitchingly voluptuous ”，Toyo-o also is a handsome youth. I think Akinari keeps emphasizing the “physical beauty” for reasons. The first is they both are attracted to each other’s beauty，then we have the follow story continued. It is also the reason why Toyo-o continued to love Manago even when he know she was a demon. He was already addicted by Manago’s beauty. The last one I think is Akinari try to warning people by telling us the ending between Manago and Toyo-o. He was bewitched deeply by Manago’s glamor and he almost get himself kill for that. As a result，we should learn to discern between good and evil and we can not deceive by people’s appearance.
Akinari’s story revolves around Toyo-o. Toyo-o is the central character and through his character traits and experiences we can take away many lessons Akinari wanted to teach the reader. Toyo-o is very gullible, easily manipulated, and weak, Akinari shows us this when he describes Oya’s feelings about Toyo-o on the opening page, when Toyo-o encounters Manago for the second time, and also during each scene he bursts into tears. Through Toyo-o’s poor character traits Akinari is envying a message of being strong and being able to see through deception, in Toyo-o’s case the deception of beauty. The devil was a beautiful young girl and she deceived and manipulate him twice, and on both occasions Toyo-o turned into a mess, he was crying and wailing, instead of dealing with the problem at hand. When problems arise be strong and find solutions instead of wailing, and do not be deceived by what you see and feel try to look past those things and see the truth. Do not Especially be fooled by the same thing twice, learn from each mistake and don’t allow it to happen again.
3. Does “Bewitched” have anything to teach its readers? If so, what? What is Akinari’s message in this text?
3. Does “Bewitched” have anything to teach its readers? If so, what? What is Akinari’s message in this text?
I believe that “Bewitched” teaches us that you can not judge a person by their looks but what’s truly on the inside. People who may have an attractive appearance, may be violent and cruel. According to the text, Manago is very beautiful but it does not mean that they have pure intentions on the inside. Looks are very deceiving and they do not guarantee a good personality. Toyo-o is very dependent on his family and he is very irresponsible. He was easily persuaded and Manago had the moment to take advantage of him.
3. Does “Bewitched” have anything to teach its readers? If so, what? What is Akinari’s message in this text?
Akinari wants tells us that the appearance can be deceptive. The more beautiful things are on the outside, the more terrible the inside is. Manago is very beautiful, but she has a demon in her heart. Although Toyo-o has many opportunities to know the truth, But he ignores because of her beauty. Therefore, we should not use appearance as the criterion for the judges. Inner beauty is more precious.