Centuries ago, during the Shogunate period of Japan, the island country was ruled by a benevolent and ethical sovereign, Emperor Engi. His right hand man, an individual celebrated for his numerous literary contributions, an icon of his time, Sugaware Michizane, aided the Emperor during his prosperous period of rule. Michizane, an embodiment of power and influence on the Emperor and on a larger scale, the Japanese Empire, soon came under scrutiny from others who envied his position and wished to abolish him. Working under Michizane, Tokihira became resentful of his superior and carefully weaved a malicious plot to discredit and dishonor Michizane. Tokihira eventually found specific evidence he could virtually exploit in order to disrepute Michizane, …show more content…
The story of The Faithful Servant was written as a testament to the loyalty of man during this period of time, illustrating the unbreakable bond between servant and master, as well as the Ancient Japanese customs of honor and absolute servitude. The story embodies the relationship that the two principal men had and the supreme devotion to one another. The story as a whole represents the malicious actions those filled with greed, lust, and envy commit in order to obtain their goals, disregarding any harm they may cause to those who they seek to depose. The absolute loyalty and devotion of Matsuo is a complete divergence to the treacheries and deceitfulness of Tokihara. This serves to exemplify complete opposite ways of life and views within the confinements of the same story, giving an ethical outlook at two different extreme perspectives within the same outline. Morally, if anything can be taken from the story, it is that while there are those who admire and love you and what you essentially represent, and will give up anything precious to them in order to benefit you, there are also those who despise and envy you, wanting to take everything from you