We are not sure what to make of Ihara Saikaku's The Life of an Amorous Man. Consisting of several short chapters detailing Yonosuke's escapades with courtesans, prostitutes, daijin and the motley crew of workers and revelers in the Edo period's demimonde, the novel's repetitive structure makes itself more interesting for the world it portrays. Yonosuke, born into a wealthy merchant family, dedicates his entire life to sensual pleasures associated with districts like Edo's Yoshiwara or equivalent spaces in Kyoto, Osaka, Nagasaki, and other parts of Japan. His dalliances with courtesans, actors, prostitutes, mendicant priests, concubines, teahouse patrons, and other merchants creates several opportunities for him to enjoy the pleasures of life as well as see the darker side of the economy supporting his leisurely lifestyle.
Reading this novel helps us understand why sumptuary laws, for instance, were instituted by the Tokugawa government and why the wealthy merchant class continued to go out of its way to pursue the entertainment, consumption, and fashionable styles affiliated with their leisurely pursuits and increasing wealth. It is quite amazing to see how much of a consumer society Japan of the 17th century was. Yonosuke also shows us the other side of the tracks when his family disowns him, forcing him to fend for himself while practicing various trades, pimping, and going through a brief ascetic phase. This might be the picaresque aspect of the novel, though overall the narrator seems to condone it. Ultimately, Yonosuke remains incorrigible, sailing off in quest for more pleasure in his aged years with his companions. Our narrator offers occasional condemnation of Yonosuke's hedonism as the protagonist himself admits or accepts his likely fate, although Ihara Saikaku seems to be more on the celebratory side of it rather than offering a didactic fable on proper behavior.
No comments:
Post a Comment