In a grove Analysis by ryonuosuke akutagawa

This is a story analysis ''in A Grove' presentation by my students in my prose class

1. In A Grove By Ryonusuke Akutagawa

2. PLOT

3. #Plot The Murdered Man/ Takehiro Woodcutter Priest Policeman Old Woman Tajomaru Masago Takehiko (through medium)

4. EXPOSITION CLIMAX CONCLUSION RISING ACTION FALLING ACTION A woodcutter has found a man’s body in a grove with a single stroke in the chest. A Buddhist priest saw the man with a woman around noon the day before the murder. A police captured a known criminal called Tajomaru . An old woman identifies herself as the mother of the missing girl Tajomaru confesses. The high police commissioner is now confused because there are three people claiming that kill Takehiro . Ending = ?

5. SUSPENSE SUSRPRISE The feeling you get after it has happened The feeling when something exciting is happening

6. FORESHADOWING

7. WOODCUTTER – Found a body in grove in the mountain.

8. TRAVELING BUDDHIST PRIEST Only describe the Taehiko and his Wifi .

9. POLICEMAN IN HIS CONFENSSION HE ARRESTED TAJUMARU

10. Her confession is about her daughter and her son-in-law OLD WOMAN

11. TAJOMARU’S CONFESSION WHEN TAJUMARU SUCEED TO LURE TAKEHIKO AND HIS WIFE TO GO TO MOUNTAIN

12. HER CONFESSION IS ABOUT HOW SHE ENDED HER HUSBAND’S LIFE WOMAN WHO COME TO THE SHIMIZU TEMPLE

13. THE STORY TOLD THROUGH A MEDIUM WHEN THE ROBBER TALK TO THE WIFE AND SUCCED CONFORTING HER TO BE HIS WIFE.

14. CHARACTER AND CHARACTERIZATION

15. The Characters Woodcutter Police Tajomaru Takehiko Buddhist Priest Old Woman Masago

16. Character Round Character (Takehiko, Masago , Tajomaru ) Round Character (Woodcutter, Buddhist Priest, Policeman, Old Woman)

17. Character Major Character (Takehiko, Masago , Tajomaru ) Minor Character (Woodcutter, Buddhist Priest, Policeman, Old Woman)

18. Character Dynamic Character (Takehiko, Masago , Tajomaru ) Static Character (Woodcutter, Buddhist Priest, Policeman, Old Woman)

19. Characterization Direct Characterization Understand the whole story to understand the character Indirect Characterization The character can be seen through speech, appearance, thought, author interpretation

20. THEME, SCENE, AND BACKGROUND / SETTING

21. Themes Sense of justice and morality Crime Mistery

22. Scenes Scene 1 : The testimony of a woodcutter. Scene 2 : The testimony of Buddhist priest Scene 3 : The testimony of a policeman

23. Scenes Scene 4 : The testimony of an old woman Scene 5 : The Confession of Tajomaru Scene 6 : The Confession of Masago

24. Scenes Scene 7 : The story of murdered man, as told through medium

25. Setting/Background About 150 meters of Yamashina roa , in a grove, in the hollow of the mountain. There are chedar trees and bamboos (woodcutter found the body in early morning in the incident day) Road from Sekiyama to Yamashina (the priest met the murdered man and his wife at noon, the day before the incident The bridge at Awataguchi (The policeman arrested Tajomaru in the evening, the day before the incident.

26. Setting/Background The background of the story is in the era of mediaval japan (Samurai, Horse, Katana)

27. POINT OF VIEW

28. Point of View In a Grove by Ryunosuke Akutagawa is construced by seven Dramatic monologues.

29. Dramatic Monologue Characters Someone Direct Indirect

30. Third Person Narration The content of each testimonies is in form of First Person Narration

31. Objective Point of View Author = Roving sound camera

32. CONVERSATION

33. Woodcutter Police Tajomaru Takehiko Priest Old Woman Masago

34. The body was lying flat on its back dresses in a bluish silk kimono and wrinkled head-dress of the Kyoto style. A single sword-stroke had pierced the breast. I found only a rope at the root…, I found a comb . Apparently he must have made a battle before he was murdered , because the grass and the fallen bamboo-blades had been trampled down all around. Woodcutter

35. Priest It was about noon yesterday. He was walking toward Sekiyama with a woman accompanying him on horseback, who I have since learned was his wife. All I saw was the color of her clothes, a lilac-colored suit . Her horse was a sorrel with a fine mane . The woman height was about four feet five inches. Well, the man was armed with a sword as well as bow and arrows . And I remember that he carried some twenty odd arrows in his quiver.

36. Police He is a notorious brigand called Tajomaru . I tried to arrest him, but unfortunately he escaped. He was wearing a dark blue silk kimono and a large plain sword …, he got a bow and arrows somewhere . You say that this bow and these arrows look like the ones owned by the dead man? Then Tajomaru must be the murderer . A little beyond the stone bridge I found the horse grazing by the roadside, with his long rein dangling.

37. Old Woman That corpse is the man who married my daughter. He does not come from Kyoto . He was a samurai in the town of Kokofu in the province of Wakasa . His name was Kanazawa no Takehiko , and his age was twenty-six. My daughter’s name is Masago , and her age is nineteen..., but she has never known any man except Takehiko . I am resigned to giving up my son-in-law as lost, but the fate of my daughter’s worries me sick. I hate that robber Tajomaru .

38. Tajomaru I killed him, but not her. But it would be good if I could capture a woman without killing her man. I seized him from behind. I soon tied him up to the root of cedar…, to stop him calling out by gagging his mouth with fallen bamboo leaves. I went to his woman and rope her. I had no wish to kill him . But she gasped out that she wanted to be the wife of whichever survived. Then a furious desire to kill him seized me . I untied him and told him to cross swords with me. When he fell, I turned toward her…, but she was gone.

39. Masago “ Takejiro ,” I said to him, “since things have come to this pass, I cannot live with you. I’m determined to die, …but you must die, too. You saw my shame. I can’t leave you alive as you are.” My heart breaking, I looked for his sword. But fortunately my small sword was lying at my feet. Raising it over head, once more I said, “Now give me your life. I’ll follow you right away.” He moved his lips with difficulty, his look said only, “Kill me.” I stabbed the small sword through the lilac-colored kimono into his breast. I tried to kill myself in many ways. Unable to end myself, I am still living in dishonor.

40. Takehiko “Don’t believe the robber” “Once your virtue is stained, you won’t get along well with your husband, so won’t you be my wife instead? It’s my love for you that made me be violent toward you.” Truly she said, “ Then take me away with you wherever you go .” Her hand in the robber’s suddenly turned pale, and point at me tied in the root of the cedar, and said, “Kill him!” Quietly folding his arms, he looked at me and said, “What will you do with her? Kill her or save her?” I raised my exhausted body…, there was shining the small sword which my wife had dropped. I took it up and stabled it into my breast .

41. CHARACTER REVELATION

42. Tajomaru Evil, subjective, has multiple personalities, scary, liar or fraud. Appearance: -Policeman said that he was wearing a dark blue silk kimono and a large plain sword. Speech - He is a notorious brigand called Tajomaru , said policeman - That man in the blue silk kimono after forcing me to yield him laughed mockingly as he looked at my bound husband. Said Massago .

43. Tajomaru Evil, subjective, has multiple personalities, scary, liar or fraud. Action: It is hard to say who is greater sinner, you or me. (an ironical smile) nobody under the sun has ever clashed swords with me twenty strokes. (a cheerful smile) I know that my head will be… (A defiant attitude). Thought: At that moment I made up my mind to capture her even if I had to kill her man. Said Tajomaru

44. Masago Appearance: “She has small, oval, dark- complected face with a mole the corner of her left eye”. Said the old woman. Speech: Her name is Massago , and her age is nineteen. She is a spirited, fun-loving girl, but I am sure she has never known any man except Takehiko. Said the old woman. I stabbed my own throat with the small sword….. said Massago A spirited girl, fun-loving girl, unique girl, and a loyal girl.

45. Masago Action: …. I killed my own husband. I was violated by the robber…(gradually violent sobbing) Thought : When he heard these words,…. But at a glance I understand his words. His look said only “kill me”. A spirited girl, fun-loving girl, unique girl, and a loyal girl.

46. Takehiko A kind young man, gentle, and a samurai, jealousy Appearance: “Well the man was armed with a sword as well as a bow and arrows. And I remember that he carried some twenty odd arrows in his quiver”. Said the Buddhist Priest Action: Even one such… (a sudden cry) … but hardly had I thought about his answer…(again a cry of scorn)

47. Takejiro A kind young man, gentle, and a samurai, jealousy Thought: He was of a gentle man disposition, so I am sure he did nothing to provoke of others . Said the old woman. Speech: I wanted to convey some soch meaning to her. But my wife sitting dejectedly on the bamboo leaves,.. . To all appearance, she was listening to his words. I was agonized by jealousy .

48. STYLE

49. In a Grove Ryunosuke Akutagawa TONE STORY CONSTRUCTION 50

50. STORY CONTRUCTION 1

51. DRAMATIC MONOLOGUE Each witness speaks in a dramatic monologue Each testimony have their own part No narrative frame. Interrogation-like. Shows character’s expression; (an ironical smile), (gloomy excitement), (a sudden cry of scorn) “a horse was nearby?” N o sir…… 52

52. W ho is the murderer? 53

53. TONE 2

54. DIFFERENT TONES Each monologue has different tone Woodcutter: simple, matter-of-fact Priest: sympathetic Policeman: simple, angry Masago’s mother: sorrowful Tajomaru : dramatic Masago : hysterical, dramatic Takehiro : mystery 55

55. 56 Thanks!

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