Motif of Story Within a Story
In the stories of Ueda Akinari, there are other stories inside the main story. For example, in the story, The Reed Choked House, another story is told within the story. The story of Tegona of Mama is told in order to console the main character Katsushiro who had lost his wife Miyagi. Another example of a story within a story is the story of The Chrysanthemum Vow. The main story is the friendship between Samon and Akan. The story of Akan’s past is told within the main story.
The purpose of these stories that are told within the main story is to enlighten the reader of the context of the story that is being narrated. They are also told as a form of comic relief to the reader and they also provide background information about the characters in the stories.
Allegory of the State of Katsushiro’s Heart
While Katsushiro was a way from home, he described the state of his heart using an allegory. The allegory is as follows, ‘It is my own faithless heart that has let me pass long years and months in a field overgrown with the grass of forgetfulness…’ The allegory is that his heart was overgrown with forgetfulness just like a field was overgrown with grass.
Allegory to describe the relationship between Katsushiro and Miyagi
Katsushiro had left home for the capital. He had promised his wife Miyagi that he would return in a few months but he returned after seven years. Miyagi grew desperate and angry at him until eventually she died. The allegory, ‘His house had surely been leveled by the fires of battle.’ clearly describes the anger and disappointment in Miyagi. Their relationship had been destroyed by his lies.
Symbolism of Shaving
In the story, The Owl of the Three Jewels, Muzen shaved his head. The narrator remarked that Muzen had shaved his head though he had no misfortune. The statement shows that shaving of the head by individuals in the society was a symbol that they had a misfortune.
Symbolism that a book had not been accepted
In the story, Shiramine the narrator tells of the story of a book named Mencius that had been rejected by the gods of Japan. The narrator says, ‘The reason is said to be that all the ships carrying this book have met violent storms and sunk.’ The violent storms were a symbol that the book had been rejected in Japan.
