Haruko
Despite the fact that millennium old traditions and lifestyles of Japanese farming communities are now fading into the memories of yesterday, generations born prior to the Second World War are incapable of abandoning the only way of life they ever knew. In the eyes of the older generation of Japanese farm women, hard work is not only a trademark to them; it is a source of power. The desire to be needed is deeply rooted in the act of service and labor. Genuine care and concern for their family gave farm women the position of control. To be the mistress of one’s home meant to preside over the household and chore duties with great dignity and pride. It was not without suffering that farm women like Haruko persevered. Societal strings of tradition and regulation weigh upon women’s shoulders, bringing the desire for control in the numerous roles of a typical farm woman: subservient “daughter in law,” leader of the home and work force, and dutiful, dedicated wife. In terms of American or western ideas of thought, a daughter in law is merely an addition to the family. Because she is the chosen mate of a son, she is accepted for that fact alone. Very unlike the American ideals of thought, Japanese women
Though the role of a wife is not always easy, a farm woman will strive to please her husband as the women before her also did. Anger and frustration often flows through the veins of farm women, particularly Haruko due to her husbands somewhat lazy nature. Drinking is not only a habit, but a common way of everyday life. It is men’s traditional way of relaxing. Both custom and preference have kept alive the social segregation of husband and wife in rural Japan. In simple terms, spouses are embarrassed to be seen together in public. This reason is obvious in that women feel like servants to their husbands in public, continuously being told to fetch this or that. Spouses, represented individually, are solely needed and wanted for their acts of service in the home and work place, not as a source of entertainment or enjoyment. They tire of one another and wish the company of someone of the same sex. As the head of the household, a farm woman like Haruko is in charge of all the major and minor duties. Since cooking, cleaning and caring for the children were not considered a part of a woman’s work, her daily life was left with no time for relaxation. A typical Japanese woman thought only of the prosperity of her family. Her duties are profoundly exasperating to women of western thought. Typical of a purely patriarchal society, existing where the male presides over the family, it is hard to belie
Some topics in this essay:
World War,
World Despite,
japanese farm,
farm women,
farm woman,
mother law,
japanese farm women,
japanese farm woman,
japanese woman,
children farm,
woman lives,
farm woman’s,
farming communities,
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Approximate Word count = 999
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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