Du Tenth in Feng Menglong’s, “Du Tenth Sinks the Jewel Box in Anger,” and the narrator in Saikaku’s, Life of a Sensuous Woman may both be classified as prostitutes, however these two characters differ drastically in nature. The narrator in Saikaku’s narrative appears to lack any ability to love. She says, “With this single body of mine I’d slept with more than ten thousand men,” (610). Throughout all her encounters with men, could it be that she had not developed love with even one? Du Tenth on the other hand, is the victim of heartbrokenness by what appeared to be her one true love. Du Tenth, contrary to the narrator, truly undertook all measures in her power to attain love. She gave up her savings for her and Li to be together, “The padded quilt I sleep on contains a hundred fifty taels in odd change. This is my private savings,”(505). Not only so, but she even reached out to her sisters, who provided so much for the two to go on and live together. Li, oblivious to these efforts, sold her away; Li says, “He [Sun Fu] has it in mind to take you in for one thousand taels,”(514). To say that Li is a moron would be an understatement. Nonetheless, these concepts speak strongly about Du Tenth’s loving character, and what she was willing to do for another individual. In reading Saikaku, such character traits would not seem plausible for the narrator. For me personally, I did not feel much sympathy for Saikaku’s narrator at the end of the story. However, I sympathize strongly for Du Tenth, especially considering that she gave away her life.
Assignment 2-Joshua Kohan
September 17, 2015 Written by j.kohan | 3 Comments
Categories: Uncategorized
3 responses so far ↓
y.kim // Sep 18th 2015 at 9:50 pm
I agree that Du Tenth and the narrator of Saikaku’s narrative are drastically different in nature but the difference comes down to the ability to fall in love and not. Du Tenth was strongly in love with Master Li and thus she was fully committed to him. As mentioned, she gave him everything, such as her savings, to help him but ultimately she was betrayed. It is clearly obvious for the audience, like the crowd in “Du Tenth Sinks the Jewel Box in Anger” to “curse Master Li for a heartless deceiver” and sympathize for Du Tenth, who committed suicide after the betrayal (516). Not only can the audience sympathize for Du Tenth but also for the narrator. The narrator with insatiable sexual desires sleeps with over ten thousand men and she realizes that she has become “the most fearful of all women” (610). This epiphany of the narrator’s makes the reader pity the narrator and sympathize for her during her breakdown.
t.zar // Sep 19th 2015 at 1:29 am
I agree that the narrator of Saikaku’s work and Du Tenth and significantly different in character; however, I do not sympathize with Du Tenth. The point that you made about Du Tenth being extremely loving is valid, but I believe her blind love led to her downfall. Du Tenth was very foolish in offering her savings for a man who was not willing to spend or make any money to pay for their relationship. Although Du Tenth was undeservingly betrayed, her lack of awareness really seemed to ruin her life. I have the same opinion as you regarding the narrator of Menglong’s narrative lacking the ability to love. Having intimate affairs with that many people shows that the narrator really did not feel particularly close and affectionate towards any particular man, but rather she was using men for her own pleasure.
JMERLE // Sep 19th 2015 at 5:04 pm
Joshua,
You make some important comments about both characters, and you could explore each of your assertions (about both women) more deeply. I’m particularly interested in your saying that you don’t have much sympathy for the Saikaku narrator, and you could explore this kind of “reader response” to the way this character is portrayed more deeply in an essay, I think (if you want to).
9/10