Usage of Characterization In Ryonosuke Akutagawa’s Rashomon Essay

Usage of Characterization In Ryonosuke Akutagawas RashomonDespite coming from a different background than most different authorsthat have so far been studied, Ryonosuke Akutagawa still wrote storiesthat included similar ideas like internal and external conflict,sacrifice of oneself for a higher cause, murder, human flaws and manyothers. In addition to that, Akutagawa also utilize common literaryelements like motifs, symbols, point of view and irony. However, oneelement that is prevalent in almost all of his works ischaracterization. In two of his inadequate stories, Rashomon and The Martyr,characterization is used to develop their respective themes inRashomon, characterization is equally important in building up thetheme as in The Martyr.In Rashomon, characterization is used to show the theme that thedesperate situations that a person faces can result in the resortingto means that compromise morals, and can make up take in to hypocrisy.Akutagawa does this through narration and b ehavior of the character.At the beginning of the story, the protagonist is faced with thedilemma of either being honest and dying of starvation, or to be athief and steal from the corpses that were scattered around. Howevereven after much consideration, he was still unable to muster enoughcourage to justify the shoemakers last that he must become a thief(Akutagawa 34). Through this, it is evident at this point, theprotagonist was still somewhat reluctant to compromise his morals evenfor survival, and if possible, he would definitely consider othermeans. With time though, the protagonist does eventually decide tocompromise his morals, and he did not even have to wonder whether heshould starve to death or become a thief. ... ...gh they may have shown approval initially.In the two different stories, characterization is used to prove thethemes, and in both cases, they are equally important. However, thereare similarities and differences as to how characterization is used.One similarit y that they share is the fact that in both stories,characterization is mainly shown through narration. Indeed in bothcases character traits can be extracted through speech, but they aremore apparent in the narration. On the other hand, one difference isthat in Rashomon, there was only a single person that was beingcharacterized to prove the theme, and this character was less of aone-dimensional figure of speech than the characters in The Martyr, whereas inthat story, a whole community was being characterized through theiractions, as well as through the introspection of one member of thecommunity.