A man sees women, all manner of them, who seem beyond reproach, said the guards officer, but when it comes to picking the wife who must be everything, matters are not simple. The emperor has trouble, after all, finding the minister who has all the qualifications. A man may be very wise, but no man can govern by himself. Superior is helped by subordinate, subordinate defers to superior, and so affairs proceed by agreement and concession. But when it comes to choosing the woman who is to be in charge of your house, the qualifications are altogether too many. A merit is balanced by a defect, there is this good point and that bad point, and even women who though not perfect can be made to do are not easy to find. I would not like to have you think me a profligate who has to try them all. But it is a question of the woman who must be everything, and it seems best, other things being equal, to find someone who does not require shaping and training, someone who has most of the qualifications from the start. The man who begins his search with all this in mind must be reconciled to searching for a very long time. (The Broom Tree, Page 36)
This passage, which is spoken by a guards officer, reveals something about the way women and marriage were seen in the Japanese society of this period. Finding a suitable wife is compared to finding the right person to fill a political office. “The emperor has trouble, after all, finding the minister who has all the qualifications.” According to the speaker, finding the right woman is even more difficult because “the qualifications are altogether too many.” He also says that it’s better to find a woman who has the right qualifications from the start and “does not require shaping and training.” This reveals the practical view of marriage that was popular in this time and place. The main role of the woman was to “be in charge of your house,” so she was to be chosen in a way similar to an employee.
What are the main “qualifications” that a woman should have according to the guards officer and others who share his opinion?
