Women play a submissive yet powerful role in Japanese society as intermediaries of class, wealth, and fortune. In the story “Bewitched”, Manago plays the polite lady in order to win men’s hearts and in her attempt to own Toyo-o, she says kind words such as: “I shall dry my clothes with the warmth of your kindness”. Toyo-o dreams of Manago greeting him at the door saying, “I cannot forget your kindness, and I love you”. I could imagine men failing to resist and abiding to temptations if a woman were to say those things. This goes to show that words are powerful and women during those times could use this method in obtaining and intermediating men of the upper-class that were wealthy and fortunate. Toyo-o’s father was a prosperous fisherman who hired workers to work for him. His daughter married a merchant. It was not told she was good with words, but she is an example of a woman who increased her social standing because she married a merchant. During those times merchants were the money makers because mercantilism was on the rise and prospering.

I reside in a lower-middle class, Chinese- oriented household and I can relate to the women who wanted to increase their social standing by marrying wealthy men. My mother would tell my sister on rare occasions “marry a doctor because he can support you”. It would seem as though she is trying to engrave it in her mind, but I believe marrying a doctor isn’t necessarily the only option out there when it comes to seeking support economically, financially, etc.

-Rickie Chiu