Essay Questions

Which story does Lafcadio Hearn use in the Kwaidan to develop the theme of Forfeit?

Lafcadio Hearn has built his themes from different stories within Kwaidan. As the reader explores the book, the theme of a forfeit is evident in the narrative Ubazakura. The forfeiture of a mother is described in the short story Ubazakura in which a nurse makes up her mind to act as a wet nurse to the little girl. She sacrifices to raise the little girl as her own. The young girl survives and grows curtsey of the sacrifice made by the wet nurse.

According to Stories and Studies of Strange Things in Kwaidan, do you think that the civilized world is soulless?

Contemporary civilization is the reason for the disappearance of the souls that inhabited a place described in the Horai story. People believe that the ancient spirits have lived in this place for centuries making it sacred and respected. The ancient spirits remind travelers of how the ancient people behaved and prayed among other things. However, it is inopportune that the West's influence impacted negatively on the place of the spirits. The natural exquisiteness of the place of spirits started disappearing until it vanished completely due to the western culture’s influence. Therefore, it is indeed true that the civilized world is soulless.

How does the literary devices allegory and motif manifest themselves in the Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things?

Lafcadio Hearn uses nature and ants to bring out the literary devices motif and allegory respectively. For instance, an allegory becomes more precise when the narrator humanizes and civilizes the ants in his entomology. The narrator puts focuses on the unity and workmanship of insects and thinks that human beings can follow a leave from insects. The motif is obvious when the narrator humanizes nature. He personalizes nature describing it as pure, wise and just.