—Kevin Chen
Given the opportunity to have read two texts in class so far, the text that resonated with me the most and which I consider “Great Works” is “Life of a Sensuous Woman” written by Ihara Saikaku. I believe that one of the author’s many purposes in writing this piece is to give insight on various lifestyles that exist but are typically unheard of, and oftentimes not accepted. Additionally, the text expresses gender in a manner that uses a very combative rhetoric to prove the essence of power. From reading these 20 pages, I wasn’t just able to fully imagine the setting and tone of the women’s narration in the frame of a man’s thoughts; I was also able to understand how these stories told can be a reflection under the society we live in today.
Prostitution or the act of selling your physical body as a commodity is labeled as a tabooed topic for many countries across the globe. I read from a body of text that religious values have great influence over societies’ stances for prostitution; according to an article in The Japan Times “Christian Europe and Shinto-Buddhist Japan saw prostitution differently: the former as sin, the latter as art”. This is evident to why countries such as the United States and Canada with a majority of Christian followers already wrote legislation on prohibiting such acts. Meanwhile, the Japanese would label this under artistic expression which would be appreciated and incorporated in their lifestyles as well.
I see Life of a Sensuous Woman as a body of text that embodies the idea of progression, even though it has its limit. The Edo period was an exponential boom for the Japanese economy. Hence, why was prostitution such a popular profession for Japanese women? Other than gaining wealth shortly but surely, it was also proven a landmark for hidden power. The woman, who was narrating her stories in text, seems to have seeped the life out of these men while even proclaiming one to be “sexually weak”. This can be reflected in our society, because as much as we praise gender equality, there are some qualities in each gender that will outrank the other. For example, stereotypically men are still labeled “bread winners” or “the main source of income” and women will always be somewhat reliant of that income. However, we also understand that even though wealth comes from men, women dominate in the social aspect. Women typically raise families, befriend other families, and are statistically better at unifying people.
As a result, this text can help you learn, reflect, and even understand that even though there is inequality in the working world, there are ways to overcome through loopholes in society that are often unheard of.
