In Feng Menglong’s “Du Tenth Sinks the Jewel Box in Anger” Du Tenth, a prostitute, is naïve in her belief that she has found love with a customer, Li Jia. Similarly, in Saikaku’s Life of a Sensuous Woman, the narrator is an elderly woman recalling her failed attempts at love and her countless affairs. In both stories, money is the factor preventing the protagonists from finding true love. In Menglong’s story, the man who Du Tenth has seemingly fallen in love with is given the opportunity to pay for an ongoing relationship with her. Despite the fact that they claim to love each other, Du Tenth is the only one who puts money on the line in order to maintain the relationship. Not only does Li Jia not offer any money, but Yuchun, an academy scholar goes out and raises the other half needed to buy out Du Tenth from prostitution. Yuchun states, “It was not for your sake that I borrowed this money, but rather because I am moved by the sincere feeling of Du Tenth” (505). In Saikaku’s story, the narrator has sex for money and pleasure. Money clearly prevents her from finding true love because the people that pay for sex generally feel as if they are paying for an object or feeling. At the end of Menglong’s story, Li Jia can easily let go of Du Tenth and trade her for money because he has not spent anything on her and she is valuable. At the end of the story, Li Jia says, “with the thousand taels I will have a pretext on which to call on my parents, and you, my dear will have someone to rely on” (514). In both stories, money ruins the opportunity of love.
Assignment 2 – Tyler Zar
September 19, 2015 Written by t.zar | 5 Comments
Categories: Uncategorized
5 responses so far ↓
Brandon Andujar // Sep 19th 2015 at 2:10 am
I agree with you that money is a factor for both characters. The way you described it for each character is very accurate. When you say “money,” I also think of the status of the individuals and how that also plays a key role in the fate of their relationships. I do believe however, that status and wealth is much more focused upon for the story involving Du Tenth. I believe that this is so because in Saikaku’s piece we get a much deeper idea of the types of relationships that the narrator was involved in. We don’t any other information besides for the occupation of the men that the narrator is involved with. For the Du Tenth piece, the reader gets more involved with the point of views of multiple characters. We also get insight into the family background in the recently read short story. With insight of the family, we get a much clearer picture of the importance of status, wealth and expectations.
mi141990 // Sep 19th 2015 at 11:08 am
I agree with Tyler Zar’s response that money is the main factor that stops the protagonists from finding real love because of many reasons. Both women were sleeping with the guys mainly for the money but Du Tenth actually cared about the guy that she was sleeping with unlike Saikaka’s narrative only cared about the money and she felt bad about having to be a temporary wife of the priest daily for money. She was not enjoying that job and I felt that she wanted to quit. Eventually she started to enjoy acting like the priest’s wife for mainly the pleasure and of course the money. Both women were not happy because they cared too much about making money from the guys instead of finding true love.
c.hazan // Sep 19th 2015 at 11:33 am
This is a very interesting analysis on both stories. I agree that money was definitely a factor which had a great affect on both female characters. Money has a way of controlling people and both women needed money for their salvation. The narrator from Saikaku needed money to survive, and getting paid for sex was her preferred way of achieving that. It is possible that she felt it was her only option, and we see from her story that she had endured difficult and uncomfortable situations. Tenth from Menglong’s story, needed money in order to be with the love of her life. She was able to craft different ways of acquiring that money, and she liberated herself from a life of prostitution. I do disagree however with the comment above that “both women were not happy because they cared too much about making money…” Tenth made it very clear that money was no object, and that she cared more of her love for Li, than any materialistic objects.
m.lee // Sep 19th 2015 at 11:40 am
I agree with Tyler’s point that money basically ruined both characters’ ability to find and keep love in their lives. It’s true that Du Tenth was naive in thinking that she has found love and that she will be able to keep that love. She should of known that love doesn’t happen in her line of work but if Li Jia had been able to look pass her status in this world and was really in love with her, then it probably could of worked out in the end. The narrator on the other hand never wanted love in the first place and she didn’t get it in the end.
JMERLE // Sep 19th 2015 at 4:42 pm
Tyler,
I think your focus that money has a negative impact on both women is a very important one, and something you could develop into a thesis, I think. If you do so, you might also explore when money is decidedly not a factor, and see where that leaves each protagonist.
10/10/