... . Part of Akutagawa undoubtedly wants to view the Westerners influence upon Japan as immoral and corrupt, yet he sees the Janus-faced duplicity of his position, who is he to define morality? What right does he or any other member or group in society have to judge morality? Nevertheless one can't help but apply one's own values to any and all ... the total imperfection of mankind is, in and of itself, imperfect! It is exactly this confrontation between an immovable force and an immovable object that can be viewed as a grand metaphor for the meeting of Western and Japanese cultures and civ...

• Word Count: 825
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: Undergraduate