The Account Of My Ten Foot Square Hut Analysis

East Asian religious texts are filled with numerous valuable insights and lessons that 21st century readers can now all access despite their gender, religion, nationality or race. Moreover, two Classical Japanese texts, known as The Tale of Genji and The Account of my Ten Foot Square Hut, both showcase the two themes of attachment and suffering. The Tale of Genji, was written by Murasaki Shikibu, who remains to be a famous Japanese female author who began writing this story in 1001 during the Heain period that ranged from 794-1185 (Theme 9 Lecture 2, Mar.16). The tale follows an imperial prince, named Hikaru Genji, who begins by secretly visiting his foster mother who is a sick nun. However, he gets distracted by the house next door that belonged

He notices a fence containing white flowers when waiting outside to visit his sick foster mother (Shikibu,107). Therefore, he sends one of his servants to pick some and display it on a perfumed fan (107). This scene illustrates his need to own something beautiful even if it provides no true function for him. This attraction to beauty is also quite similar to how he is instantly attracted to the girl that lives next-door from the nun (114). He adores her because of her beautiful appearance despite the description of her character that is explained to be depressed, nervous, helpless and frightened in his presence throughout the story. However, her appearance must have been one of the main reasons for him to fall in love with her. A specific scene in the story captures his attachment to her beauty that supports his love for her, “ It was when she was speaking that she looked really beautiful, there was such pathos, such earnestness in her manner. If only she had little more spirit!” (118). It seems that he viewed her as a beautiful object that he could own and control, like the flowers discovered at the beginning of the story. Although, after she passed away, he learns from his servant Ukon, “… you regarded her as more than a mere plaything or idle distraction was very painful to her” (134). His obsession and treatment towards her can help explain the author’s choice for her name to be Yugao that is revealed at the end of the story because she perfectly symbolizes the beautiful and fragile flowers that wither away without water or true love in her