1. Is it possible to be addicted to boredom?
2. Now that you've read to the end: does this couple seem in love?
3. Assuming the couple is in love, do they seem to be in love in a good way? Generally, how do you feel about this relationship?
4. Does this story seem anti-Japanese? To put it another way, does the narrator seem resentful toward or angry toward the Japanese and Japanese culture?
5. In par. 22, the narrator says, "If he valued me as an object of passion, he had reduced the word to its root, which derives from the Latin, patior; I suffer. He valued me as an instrument which would cause him pain." Do you think the narrator values Taro, and the relationship in general, as an instrument that causes her pain?
6. How are mirrors, and the idea of mirrors, important to this story?
7. Choose a sentence from the reading to comment on, and comment on it.
2. Now that you've read to the end: does this couple seem in love?
3. Assuming the couple is in love, do they seem to be in love in a good way? Generally, how do you feel about this relationship?
4. Does this story seem anti-Japanese? To put it another way, does the narrator seem resentful toward or angry toward the Japanese and Japanese culture?
5. In par. 22, the narrator says, "If he valued me as an object of passion, he had reduced the word to its root, which derives from the Latin, patior; I suffer. He valued me as an instrument which would cause him pain." Do you think the narrator values Taro, and the relationship in general, as an instrument that causes her pain?
6. How are mirrors, and the idea of mirrors, important to this story?
7. Choose a sentence from the reading to comment on, and comment on it.
14 comments:
Hey Everyone,
I think I am going to try and answer question 2. I think that this couple is kind of like still in "dating mode". It seems as though they don't know each other very well. It is hard to know, because we are only reading from the perspective of the girl and not the boy, so we have no idea what he is thinking. She seems to like him, but it is hard to tell if she really "loves" him, at least I found it difficult. I really think that she just likes him because she is dare I say desperate, but I kind of get that feeling. It doesn't seem like it is true love! I found compared to the couple in The Lady With a Dog, you could tell that those two people truly loved each other and they weren't very afraid to admit or show it, but with this couple, it is hard to tell. You don't get that same kind of feeling that you did when you read that other short story. I hope I make sense and bring up some good ideas and points. I can't wait to read others comments. Have a good rest of the weekend!
6. How are mirrors, and the idea of mirrors, important to this story?
Mirrors are important to this story because a mirror reveals a reflection of a person. When you look at a mirror, you see yourself. In relation to the story, people ignore who they really are. They hide mirrors, afraid to see what they really are and they are afraid that people might see through them. They are being hypocritical like “to look at a samurai, you would not know him for a murderer, or a geisha for a whore” (page 222).
Hey Guys
So, pertaining to question #1, which states:
Is it possible to be addicted to boredom?
My answer to this is yes. I say yes for a variety of reasons. After having read this story, I got to know the kind of person the narrator is. He seems to get bored very often and easily. Another thing that sticks out to me when I think about him is that he seems to be very ignorant toward women and his life/career. I think this ignorance he displays contributes to his addiction of boredom; he gets bored easily with life. Nothing seems to get him amped and motivated to want to do anything and because there is nothing there, he becomes addicted with his ignorant and unusual lifestyle. In my own personal experience, when I'm bored, it is quite a relief because I very rarely have long periods of free time (excluding vacations and summer). I think the fact that he believes he is addicted to boredom himself, it shows that really has nothing better to do with himself than ponder about himself and the life he has created for himself and he seems to be neither disappointed or proud in his "accomplishment". Boredom, defined as the state or condition of being bored is something that is not very difficult to find sometimes, and because it is so easy to find, this creates a desire for busy people and becomes rather addictive. Like anything in life, something that feels good or is easy, can and usually becomes an addiction (ex. drugs, boredom, sex, cigarrettes).
Have a good rest of your sunday evening everyone!
Mason
Hi. I am answering question number one. I think that you can be addicted to boredom if you allow yourself to not find joy in anything else in life. The narrator gets bored easily and to me it shows that this character is not intelligent enough to induldge themselves in other activities, even something as simple as imagining. It is easy to simply say you are bored when you cannot find anything to do or there are no activities going on, but once you have admitted it, I feel like that is when something happens and your mind is worried about other things and not just the idea of having nothing to do.
Hey guys
Im going to answer question number 5. If he valued me as an object of passion, he had reduced the word to its root, which derives from the Latin, patior; I suffer. He valued me as an instrument which would cause him pain." I find this quote to be extremely accurate. In this story the main character is extremely different from the rest of the natives in japan. She is caucasian yet living in japan. Thus since she has grown up in a different culture she is a rarity in japan and she is exactly what makes their affair more exciting. Their affair was doomed to go knowhere, even if she loved him and he claimed the same towards her, he does not really love her he only views her as an object. an object that provides excitement and passion in the bedroom but knowwhere else. Their affair is very casual and was doomed to go knowhere since the very beginning due to the culture and society they live in.
number 1:
In this case, by the way the narrator describes and interprets the act of being bored, I believe it is possible to be addicted to boredom. She describes her lover's late night escapades as boredom and their progression from bars to coffee houses to parlors as " various bouquets of differentiated boredoms." This makes me think that her idea of boredom is to spend your time in areas that will get you no where and in which you don't progress, contribute, or do anything meaningful. In other words Taro's partying was a waste of time and was only to get away from his real life which of course she would not refer to as boring because she is his reality. She also describes the men as "connoisseurs of boredom" who "savored" these activities. Partying the way these men do, which I assume involves alcohol, smoking, promiscuity, and deceit, can certainly become addicting. All of these things have the potential to tempt people, cause excitement, and even become a disorder. Lying can become a serious problem as it is addicting as well as becoming an alcoholic, drug addict, or sex addict. On the other hand, the narrator may be jealous of these men for getting away with what they do and upset with Taro's choices in which he excludes her and this might be why she criticizes their actions. She is tied down to him because of her feelings and yet it makes her helpless. Although this is evident, she seems to be a realistic person who understands what is going on and doesn't lie to herself. Because of this I believe she does think Taro lives to be bored since he is bored with her and he spends his boredom doing selfish and wasteful things.
6. How are mirrors, and the idea of mirrors, important to this story?
An overall theme in the story is the tendency of others to focus on physical appearances of others. It becomes clear that in the Japanese culture, it is important to look "the right way". The sentence about a section of the department store being labeled "For Young and Cute Girls Only" points to the fact that immense focus is put on outer appearance in this culture and it is what makes up the social classes of the society. The mirrors are representative of the need to always be aware of physical appearance. The narrator who is blonde and tall, feels out of place among the Japanese. I feel that this is commenting on the fact that people have difficulty getting beyond the way someone looks. It somehow defines them as a person and it is so hard to get through and past physical features. The mirrors represent this blockade. This artificial thing that impedes on the ability of people to really get to know someone for who they are. I feel that the story is also commenting on the sexism found on Japanese culture. Women are seen as objects. They are below men in society, and must keep to themselves. The idea that they are objects adds to the need to look perfect all the time. It makes the relationship between men and women artificial and only on the surface. It is impossible to get to know and love someone for who they are beyond the way they look if you can not get past what they look like. So basically in conclusion, the mirrors represent the awareness of physicality and the fact that being a woman, or not being the right kind of oman in a specific culture, will get in the way of a true and happy relationship. It is all artificial, just like a mirror is. A mirror is not a real human. It is a 2D reflection of a human. When looking in a mirror you will not get a full picture of who you truly are. If mirrors didn't exist, than the focus would be on each other and maybe less on the superficial physical aspect of a relationship. But it is not something that can be passed, it will always be a determining factor in how you get to know someone, and how you judge them. It is really quite depressing because the way you look is not something that you can control. It is what you are given. In the same way it is sad that women should be looked down upon for being physically different from men, when without women life wouldn't exist.
4. I don't think the narrator is resentful or angry at the Japanese and their culture. I think she is just trying to understand life in Japan as an outsider. for example, when she reads the dress sign, "For Young and Cute Girls Only." she feels gross and ugly since nothing fits her and she has to wear men's size sandals. She is frustrated that she can't fit in that part of the culture but she isn't angry. Another example is when she notices the man washing the leaves of his plant. She seems to be in awe of the cultural differences and their respect for the smallest things. I think she just is having culture shock. She wants to fit in.
Hello,
pertaining to question one, Boredom is hard to define. People associate words like laziness and other somewhat negative qualities when thinking of boredom. However, I dont see how someone can be addicted to boredom. People find it easy to be addicted to things they enjoy. It seems sort of strange to think someone could be addicted to something they complain about and dont enjoy. Once again however, people commonly become addicted to things they surely dont enjoy, such as depression. I think being addicted to boredom is another way of saying your slightly depressed. When nothing excites you I dont think your looking at an addiction but some sort of sickness.
Hello,
Pertaining to question four...
I think that in parts of the story the narrator is bitter toward standing out in Japan and as being portrayed as an outsider, but I do not think she feels resentful toward the culture. I think the narrator's bitterness toward Japanese culture comes with the foreign mindset. A Japanese native woman might resent the culture but she is taught to obey and follow the rules of culture and the rules of her man. However, the narrator is probably from Europe or America (notice the blue eyes, blond hair, and large feet), and it makes sense that she has grown up with a "western" mindset. The author does a good job of presenting the differences in culture, and it makes sense that the narrator's western mindsets allow her to be bitter toward the obvious differences between her and the Japanese people. I also think the narrator is bitter because she is in love with a Japanese man but because she is an outsider her love is probably not accepted as it is with a Japanese woman and man.
I find that the narrator's bitterness really shines through when she is talking about how Japan is a "man's country." On page 218 it states, "But I usually found myself waiting for him to come home knowing, with a certain resentment, that he would not." I feel that often, the narrator has these ideas that in a western world, her world, she would not or might not put up with behavior such as Taro's. Because Japan seems to be entirely a "man's world," it would seem that because the narrator is in love with Taro, it seems she must obey him because that is what the culture dictates, whereas in a western world this might not be the case. Perhaps the narrator is just bitter toward men in general, but I think in context her bitterness toward Taro's behavior is really because of the cultural leeway Japan gives to men and the binds Japanese culture puts on women.
Thanks, have a good night.
My comment is meant to be a response to number 7, but I am cheating a little bit because I am going to use a few sentences instead of just one.
In paragraph 15, towards the end, a passage begins with "In a sober harmony..." and continues until, "upon a wide stormy sea." I was really struck by the author's use of three similes in a row (an orchestra, a bird, and a boat). My immediate response to this was that the narrator was having an experience that she couldn't quite grasp or put into words, and is therefore trying to relate it to the reader in every way she can think of. I see it as a desperate attempt at explaining the odd situation she was in, and how out of place she felt.
I also find it to be very interesting though, because i was able to really relate to each of the similes and I think she was very artful in arranging them one after another. Although the last one of the set was said by the man, she seems to be affected by it. This, in turn, causes the reader to have a reaction. I feel like this passage could definitely spark an emotional response in the reader.
Lastly, the slightly hectic nature of a three-simile-string displays her "string of consciousness." This story is from her point of view and it is showing how much input is being processed in her mind. Her mind leaps from one subject to another, and the reader feels as if they are the narrator because of this.
Not only does this passage get the reader emotionally involved, but it almost encourages the reader to put themselves in the position of the narrator. They can imagine exactly what it's like to be her, which makes for an engaging story.
1. Is it possible to be addicted to boredom?
I think that boredom would be pretty hard to be addicted to because of what boredom is (in my opinion) "the disinterest in all things resulting in a feeing of dissatisfaction with the your present state." I think the person could be addicted to the feeling of being alone or the attention they get from removing themselves from others, but i think that if you were ultimately addicted to being "bored" that would mean you have no interest in life- and would most likely end yours.
Answering question 1:
I think from A Sovenir of Japan, it may seem like the boredom that she is subjected to she almost becomes addicted to, however I don't feel like she truly becomes addicted to it but rather addicted to the monotony and safety that her boredom allows her to fall into. I think that the negative connotations of boredom also make it seem like a bad thing to become addicted to however I think that she becomes addicted to the appealing side of it.
I think that it is impossible to be addicted to boredom. I feel that an addiction to boredom can b e a positive and a negative thing.
It can be positive because I believe that extreme boredom can lead to some of the most creative inventions or ideas, just because you are so bored with your current situation your mind comes up with these ideas that it otherwise would not, that is, if you weren't so bored.
I feel that it can be negative because one can also get stuck in boredom and just do nothing. When one is bored they can just kind of give up instead of trying to come up with an idea to preoccupy their time, or something to do. When this happens I feel that there is a waste of time happening. I feel that in every moment you can find something interesting.
Boredom can become an addiction if you see the positive and rely on being bored to gain access to some of your best ideas or actions. It can also become an addiction as a fallback, and a way of avoiding the world or something you don't want to think about.
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