Analysis of Mori Ogai’s “Dancing Girl”
The title of the story “Dancing Girl” portrays the difficulties and experiences Elise is facing. The short story elaborates on romantic fiction in the early era and the criticism that plays a central role in establishing Japan’s current literature. The story also depicts the psychological and emotional torture the main characters pass through because of society’s culture and norms. It further portrays the politicized fiction that succeeds in the Meiji political arena and how individuals’ freedoms are not implemented according to the institution. The story “Dancing Girl” reflects how significantly the literature has transformed into Meiji’s land in the past decades. The story is crafted and contains the much atheistic vision and elaborates on how people respect their culture and the risks they take to protect their traditions, even going to the extent of hurting their partners’ feelings.
I perceive as the author writes down this short story while finding comfort in his cabin, on the way back to Japan, he writes the story that reflects his entire life but not for others to read it. The author writes the deck while sailing in the sea to soothe his feelings as he expresses his regrets and remorse (Cohen & Malka, 41-57). The author tries to justify his actions as he expresses his behaviors’ consequences and how his country’s culture is harsh to his love life. The life of Elise is described in the line “dancers are today’s slaves who are often dressed beautifully when they are performing but when they go back to their lives and are hard pressed to earn a living forward-pressed and for their loved ones” critically, it elaborates how Elise falls in love with Toyotaro because he comes from a right family and is rich. Because Elise comes from a poor background, falling in love with a rich man is a stepping stone for running away from poverty. Ota expresses fear since he is afraid of making bad choices and wrong decisions in his world as they have repercussions. Toyotaro attributes to his weak will since his father died, and he is left alone by the mother to cater to his needs (Cohen & Malka, 41-57). Despite Toyotaro knowing Elis’s background and traditions, he still chooses to get into a relationship with Elise and heartbreaking her in the end. Impregnating and heartbreaking Elis shows how men in this society do not respect women; neither do they take their responsibilities; they only want to have fun as they live their best lives. Toyotaro represents the character of all men from Japan, and it clearly shows that he knows well that staying in Germany is temporary but still makes an attempt of engaging with Elise; Ota complicates matters between him and Elise despite knowing their cultural values and Elise backgrounds and Ota could have taken the opportunity to overcome his weakness instead of making the bond between them to be that strong.
The “Dancing Girl” story portrays how Ota is caught up between his emotions and the consequences or allegiances though it is not expressed widely. According to German literature, the story explains that Elis’s dancing profession is categorized under the Germans’ lowest trade as it symbolizes the secondary class level and the social class status of Elis’s family. According to the analysis, “The Dancing Girl” is from a personal perspective. It shows how Ota’s actions in their relationship represent how insensible men are and how they handle society’s problems. When Ota returns to Japan, leaving Elis heartbroken and pregnant with his child, he sends her money for her upkeeps and the newborn baby; Ota cannot marry Elis because of the culture and prefers caring for her from a distance. This action expresses how Japanese men have to exemplify the high standards in their society, and expectations from these men are significantly embraced as the community has put a lot of pressure on the Japanese men. The self-conflict in Ota’s life portrays the culture and demands of their country. In this short story, Ota’s parents talk about their wealth, the history of their family, and the achievements they have made in life, the unprecedented success, and how all their community members are intellects. However, Elis’s family lives in poor conditions in Germany; this verdict that Ota is socially not allowed to interact with people of low standards, those who cannot meet their family’s social class. Respect is an essential factor in Japan, and this makes Ota talks about Confucianism, the act of being torn in between two critical elements and being in a dilemma. The outcome of his decision will affect his relationship with his family members and the entire community.
Toyotaro alias Ota chooses to live up to those achievements their parents and family have made in life and neglects Elis and their newborn baby. In the story, the narrator explains Japanese and Germany’s culture in the sentence, “Toyotaro arrives in Germany and falls in love upon seeing Elis’s serene grace in her dancing at a local theatre. Shortly after this scene he meets Elis and starts talking about their similarity and differences in their cultures”; this quote gives a reader a glimpse into Japan and Germany (Ogai & Bialik). Ota explains how their culture and art are more religious compared to Germany’s. The Japanese culture is integral and usually demonstrates their community’s superiority, and the art and German culture is more secular, which originated during the renaissance period in Europe. The differences portrayed in these two countries’ cultures and values show how Elis’s relationship with Ota is impossible and cannot bear fruit. Japanese do not associate with those whose culture is full of nudity and have no respect for their society. Religious norms and secular arts do not relate in real life, and people respect religion as much as it is strict. Ota’s friend Aizawa always advises him to focus on his study and refrain from getting into an engagement with Elis because of repercussions, but he won’t listen (Ogai & Bialik). Aizawa represents good people in society, those that care about others future and have good intention. Aizawa has already predicted Ota’s future outcomes with Elis and knows well his friend’s culture and social status.
Aizawa explains how Japanese culture does not allow them to marry from different ethnicities and nationalities as it always affects the lineage or their family’s prosperity. Finally, Aizawa succeeds in convincing Ota to focus on his studies, and his decision is emphasized by the author when he narrates, (obsessed by the thought that he had committed an unforgivable crime…); these words shows how Ota is affected by the decision of breaking up with Elis just because of his culture. Japanese men respect their culture to the extent of affecting their decision and social life when they reside in other countries (Ogai & Bialik). His decision to follow his culture has left a detrimental effect on the lady, becoming mentally ill. After being heartbroken by Ota, Elis’s condition significantly explains the extent to which she loved Ota and how his decision affected him. This scenario depicts how social class, culture, and wealth in societies impact both negatively in an individual’s life. As Elis becomes mentally ill, the spirit of Confucianism is seen to be significant in Ota’s life and the cultural oppression they subject him. When Ota states that, (Friends like Aizawa Kenkichi are rare indeed, and yet to remarkably this day remains a part of me that curses him); these words explain the hate is burning in Ota because of the pressure and advice he gives him. Ota is regretting following the advice and, at the same time giving credit to Aizawa since he reminds him of their culture and his reason for traveling to Germany, which is primary education. These words show how Ota is regretful despite following the Japanese culture and breaking the traditions; he could still be with Elis. Those wealthy parents in Japan control their children’s lives, and they do not allow them to go against their traditions; this explains how freedom of expression and own decision-making does not exist in Japan, and people live according to the rules imposed on them.
The author uses the short story of “The Dancing Girl” to criticize Japan’s culture and try to make an effort to transform citizens from Japan. When Ota squanders his time with Elise and gets fired from his job, his friend advises him to return to Japan, where he currently worked but refuses (Ogai & Bialik). Ota refuses to go to the same place for work since he fears the pressure and how they monitor him; this shows how the parents do not allow him to have fun since the community only focuses on making their legacy, and they do not let their children waste time or rest. When Ota avoids traveling back to Japan, Ota experiences difficulties in pleasing his family, culture, and marrying Elis. “They were only suspicious of me at first and attributing to the fact that I neither drank nor played billiards with them to apparent stubbornness and self-restraint on my part, they ridiculed and envied me. But this was because they did not know me” these words explain how Ota suffers silently and how the situation at home was different from that of school. Ota seems to be innocent and has pressure from the students. In Japan, youths are commanded and dictated to follow the elders’ advice and follow the path of obedience. The author criticizes the Japanese’s political and social system since it is full of trauma, and youths seem to pass through depression. Ota not drinking alcohol with fellow students explains how life in Japan is strictly education and work. Ota expresses his feeling that the family forces him to follow the rules but not through his will. Ota sees many beautiful women, but he does not attempt to approach them because of fear and how he lives. These two characters are innocent in their relationship since Elis has always focused on reading novels and dancing. The critics in this story are on how Japan’s political status interferes with the life of youth; parents only think of wealth and education but not the social life of their children (Ogai & Bialik). Japan’s social and political status explains how different societies in the past decades value wealth, and the feelings of individuals do not matter. The author uses criticism to enable other countries to avoid implementing such traditions and customs that affect people’s lives and allow youths to decide.
The author targets the Japanese when they restore their emperor to power; if possible, they consider improving the culture. The short story of “The Dancing Girl” helps to modernize the literature in Japan by introducing a new format of writing and a modern prose style that will include the development of character, a realism that emphasizes the personal experience. The author reveals the love and dilemma between two people of different cultures and ethnicities. The author depicts how culture breaks stronger bonds and influences the decisions of young Japanese men. A culture should be having positive effects and supporting the people of society, but it seems the culture for Japanese natives destroys. The story needs to be read closely with the close engagement of politics since it is full of resentment and pain. The Japanese youth is suffering from the consequences of his action; obedience is critical despite the feelings one has towards the other. The short story explains how love and heartbreak can destroy and change an individual’s entire life when traditions and culture is part of it.
References
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