Movie 1: The Life of Oharu
1) Throughout The Life of Oharu, Oharu is forced to navigate a world that gives her little choice but to be a concubine. Oharu never truly achieves agency, being thrust from one unwelcome situation to another, from mistress-hood to marriage to prostitution to religious service, never truly achieving real freedom. While she does her best to overcome these obstacles, the oppressive nature of Japanese feudal society never really gives her the chance to succeed. 2) Oharu’s fate as a woman demonstrates how harmful the feudal era of Japan was for women; the only way to ascend socially was Continue reading...