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Paper 1: Are There Imperfect Heroes? Jiumeng Yang Yang JAPANESE JAPANESE !"1: #iterature #iterature in Trans$ation Trans$ation %r& %r& Naomi Na omi 'u(umori
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)hat is a hero? *odern media and te$e+ision ma, portra, a caped crusader- mas(ed +igi$ante- or omnipotent god sa+ing the .or$d& A$though such portra,a$ is /, no means inaccurate- it does not go into depth of the concept of heroism& The dictionar, de0nes a hero as a man of distinguished courage or a/i$it,- admired for his /ra+e deeds and no/$e 2ua$ities&3 Heroes ha+e e4isted since ancient times and ha+e made an impact in /oth $iterature and cu$ture& In pre5modern Japanese $iterature- a hero or heroine is often the main character of the stor, .ho /ears three characteristics: an imperfect past- a 6ourne, to.ards redemption- and +ictor, at the end& The 0rst characteristic of a hero in Japanese $iterature is the imperfect past of the character& The imperfect past does not ha+e to /e the same e+er, time7 it can /e caused /, an inherent 8a. of the character or /, a tragic e+ent& This characteristic in a .a, de0nes the hero and gi+es him a purpose to .or( to.ards $ater& In The Tale of Genji- the promising son of the emperor is demoted to a commoner due to his mother9s death& Partings /et.een parent and chi$d are sad enough on ordinar, occasions- /ut this one .as indescri/a/$, mo+ing3 *c;u$$ough <=& The death of >en6i9s mother is descri/ed as a signi0cant$, more impactfu$ e+ent than the ordinar, death of a parent in order to high$ight the hero9s imperfect past& >en6i is put in a dar(er spot- .hich gi+es him the chance $ater to rise out of it& The second characteristic of a hero is the 6ourne, to.ards redemption& In order for a character to /e seen as a hero- he must disp$a, 2ua$ities of good mora$it,& ;haracters .ith pure e+i$ intentions are se$dom heroes and
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thus the hero must tr, to turn his $ife around or pro+e himse$f .orth,& In The Tale of Genji- the hero does this /, s$o.$, tr,ing to mo+e up in the ro,a$ ran(ings& In Records of Ancient Times- Susano.o disp$a,s the second characteristic of heroic /eha+ior /, 0ghting the eight headed serpent to sa+e the daughter of the e$der$, coup$e- .hich contrasts .ith his pre+ious image of +io$ence and i$$5temperament& Then Susano.o dre. the great sa/re that .as girded on him and cut and hac(ed the serpent to pieces- so that the Ri+er Hi changed into a ri+er of /$ood& )hen he cut the midd$e tai$- the /$ade of his s.ord .as chipped& Astonished- he thrust in the tip and sp$it the 8esh& There inside he sa. a great t.o5edged s.ord& He too( this ne. great s.ord- and (no.ing it to /e a mar+e$respectfu$$, to$d the Hea+en Shining %eit, and ga+e it to her ;ourse Pac(et @=& As Susano.o (i$$s the serpent- he is presented .ith the gift that .i$$ a$$o. him to ma(e amends .ith his sister- fu$0$$ing his redemption& In this instancethe hero- through his 6ourne, to pro+e himse$f- disp$a,ed 2ua$ities of /ra+er, and se$8essness& The third characteristic of a hero is the +ictor, and accomp$ishment of the aforementioned 2uest for redemption& In order for a character to tru$, /e considered a hero- he must succeed in the end of his 6ourne,& Success does not imp$, that the character $i+es happi$, e+er after& n the contrar,- man, heroes end up d,ing in traged,& Ho.e+er- the accomp$ishment means that the hero has fu$0$$ed a part of him that .as missing from the imperfect past& In Susano.o9s case- he reconci$ed ,ears of /ad /$ood /et.een himse$f and his sister& In >en6i9s case- he mo+ed /ac( up the ro,a$ $adder .hence he .as
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thro.n do.n so man, ,ears ago and earned the respect of man, no/$es in the empire& In the ear$, da,s of >en6i9s e4i$e- his /rothers and his friends among the senior no/$es sent him so$icitous $etters& A num/er of touching ;hinese poems tra+e$ed /ac( and forth- and >en6i9s compositions attracted uni+ersa$ acc$aim3 *c;u$$ough 1<=& A$though >en6i is in e4i$e- his +ictor,3 $ies in the hearts of his peop$e- .ho see him .ith respect and admiration& In conc$usion- there are man, interpretations of the concept of heroism& Some attri/ute it to the caped crusaders seen in mo+ies and te$e+ision- .hi$e others strict$, +ie. it to /e .arriors in com/at& In pre5 modern Japanese $iterature- three important characteristics can /e attri/uted to a hero& A hero needs to ha+e an imperfect past- .or( to.ards redemptionand u$timate$, /e +ictorious in the end& >en6i and Susano.o e4hi/it these traits in diBerent .a,s- /ut /oth are u$timate$, heroes&
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References 'u(umori- Naomi& The Age of the >ods&3 In Japanese !"1 ;ourse Pac(etAutumn C1!& Pp& "5!"& *c;u$$ough- He$en- trans& >en6i and Hei(e: The Tale of Genji and The Tale of the Heike& Stanford- ;A: Stanford Dni+ersit, Press- 1@@!& Print&
