Explanatory Response of The Waiting Years by Fumiko Enchi - Essay Example

"Ye have heard it that it was said by them of old time, thou shalt not commit adultery; but I say unto you, that whosoever looketh on a woman to lustafter her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart"EXPLANATORY RESPONSE OF THE WAITING YEARS BY FUMIKO ENCHI1.) The strength that was a fraction greater than his own made him feel at ease in her presence. - Yukitomo, feeling the presence of her loving wife Tomo by her side, being thankful and trustful of her love, care, and her utter devotion to him.

Such was his feeling towards her. Even though he craves for other women who are younger than Tomo, he respects her feelings as though not to hurt her really bad.2.) Tomo now, wakening in the small hours from a dream of horror, lay bathed in sweat, gazing with tearful eyes she were a solitary spring in a scorching desert. - Tomo, her heart shattered because of all the infidelities he has been doing and giving her misery, awakened from a nightmare, finds peace in seeing her daughter. She thought of her as the only thing that keeps her happy and the one who motivates her that things are going to change for the better.3.) She had intended to return it to Yukitomo immediately she arrived at the inn.

- Tomo, in the midst of her mission to find her husband Yukitomo Shirakawa another concubine. She had been a martyr wife for the insensitive and lustful Yukitomo Shirakawa, enduring all the pain her self-denial, of his infidelities, incestuous lust, forbidden passion and insults on her womanhood.4.) the mere mention of her parents or brothers would put Yukitomo into a vaguely bad temper. - Yukitomo despised the fact that Tomo's parents and brothers are going to know his misdoings and the emotional tortures that he has inflicted on his wife's feelings.

He belongs to an aristocratic family and such knowledge would reap him disgrace and shame.5.) Today, he had seen a ghost in broad daylight. - Yukitomo, because of his affairs and relations with many women, treated Tomo as if she does not exist, treated her as a ghost, not minding her all throughout the day. Seeing her but not thinking that she is his adoring wife, willing to do anything for him even at her own expense. 6.) Conceived in a womb imperfectly matured, he had been born with a mind incapable of growth.

- This figurative passage referring obviously to Yukitomo, his being narrow-minded and lack of sensitivity, sympathy and the adequate understanding of how a man should treat his wife and how to maintain his dignity and not tarnish it with his sinful and incestuous doings, for example, he married his daughter-in-law after the latter was estranged from his son.7.) "There's nobody would have a man like me" - Yukitomo, arrogantly referring to himself, exalting himself as though his wife Tomo has found a treasure by marrying him just because he is a rich bureaucrat.

He just did not realize that he was slowly disintegrating himself because of his misadventures.8.) "Who's to say whose child it is More like animals, I call it" - Referring to his own daughter by Tomo, Yukitomo never really appreciated her daughter. Yes, he provides her the luxury, but not the love and warmth of fatherly presence and care. On the contrary, Tomo treats her daughter Toshi as if she were the most precious thing on earth.9.) "It's all right, I'll go and get Yoshi to have a look and put some medicine on" - Upon treating his husband, Tomo recommended that Yoshi attend to her job to bring to her father, the sick Yukitomo his medicine.

Yoshi was kind of cold towards her father, as she did not feel any love for him at all, because she was quite aware of how he treats her mother Tomo.10.) It was the light blue ribbon waving on Ruriko's hair as she clung to Takao's chest that caught Tomo's eyes in the rickshaw coming up the sloping drive from the gate. - Tomo was aware of Takao and Ruriko's relationship. They were brother and sister and they were Tomo's grandchildren. She was determined never to let incest eat the soul of her already distorted family.

And also, she wants to stop the evil legacy of Yukitomo from ruining the whole of her children and grandchildren.11.) Happiness--a small-scale, endearing, harmonious happiness ---surely dwelt here beneath the low-powered lamps in the tiny rooms of these houses. - In these simple houses, Tomo conceived the thought of happiness. She knew happiness also means being content with simplicity and as an irrepressible element which nobody can deny or spoil. She knew happiness was being with her daughter, forgetting what the rest of her life is, never minding them because once she is with her, all her doubts and worries fly away.12.) "Tell him that all he needs do is to take my body out to sea at Shinagawa and dump it in water" - Tomo has come to live a very unusually sad life, her marriage, her children, his sinful husband and his concubines.

She was tired of living a cursed life. She had just gained knowledge that she was dying of a disease and the reason she said these was she did not want to have a formal funeral ceremony because it only covers the deeds of her dysfunctional and perverted family. REFERENCES:"onnazaka." 2 Apr. 2007 . Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 2006. 2 Apr. 2007 .