Rashomon Lesson Plan

How does Lorenzo differ from Akutagawa’s other protagonists (e.g., the servant in Rashomon, Goi in Yam Gruel)?

Lorenzo is much more pure and is less nuanced than Akutagawa’s other protagonists. The servant in Rashomon commits an immoral act when he steals the old woman’s clothes, and he constantly questions what is right and what is wrong. In contrast, Lorenzo simply does what is right without question. Goi in Yam Gruel is concerned mostly with himself and his own path, rather than with helping others (save for when he tries to save the stray dog). Lorenzo, in contrast, lives his life to help others, and ends it in one final act of altruism.

How does Lorenzo’s morality...