In Ryūnosuke Akutagawa‘s re-working of this 13th century Japanese tale, a cold-hearted, conceited artist considered to be “the greatest in the land” insists upon personally experiencing the scenes he creates. When commissioned to paint a folding screen with a scene from Hell, he is able to complete all but the central image of a beautiful woman burning alive in a nobleman’s carriage. He asks for help from his Feudal Lord, who agrees to stage the event for him. As the artist watches, his emotions range from horror to ecstasy. Themes: hubris, inhumanity, obsession, inspiration in art, innocence, perception of truth. More…
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The Spider Thread
Although initially published in a children’s magazine, this story from Ryūnosuke Akutagawa is equally relevant to adults. Lord Buddha takes pity on a notorious criminal and sends a “life-line” in the form of a spider’s thread to help him escape from hell. For young readers, this is a parable about selfishness and sharing. For older readers, it is also a lesson on compassion. Kandata’s fate was sealed well before he screamed at those following to get off “his” thread. True compassion would have involved finding a way to share the thread with fellow sufferers before he started climbing. More…
In a Grove
Ryūnosuke Akutagawa‘s In a Grove, published in 1922, is based on a classical Japanese tale first documented in the 12th century. It comprises seven accounts, including three confessions, relating to the death of a young Samurai. There are differences between each account, and none of the confessions are totally convincing. The story shares similarities with Ambrose Bierce’s Moonlit Road, published fifteen years earlier. Both stories feature unreliable narrators (including the spirit of the victim speaking through a medium) and leave readers to draw their own conclusions about the crime and identity of the killer. Who do you think did it? More…