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Library's collection Library's IT development CancelIn this thesis, I will discuss a Japanese novel written by Junichiro
Tanizaki, one of best-known Japanese writers. Tanizaki?s works are often
concerned with obsessive desires. Among his works I choose Some Prefer Nettles
because the story is interesting. It is about a middle-aged couple, Misako and her
husband (Kaname) who have problems in their marriage. The main female
character, Misako considers herself as a modern woman and adopts American
values in her life. She wants to adopt American values in her life such as the
concept of individual freedom and equality and applies in her position as a wife in
her marriage life. From that situation, problems start to occur. There is a conflict
between Misako and Kaname because Kaname is a traditional Japanese man who
really obeys and respects the traditional Japanese values. The problems which
occur in this story really disturb the relationship between Misako and Kaname and
finally they decide to get a divorce. Through this study, I want to show the
American values adopted by Misako, the reasons, and also the effects of adopting
American values toward her marriage life. The purpose of the analysis is to find
out the American values adopted by Misako and also the reasons and the effects
of adopting American values toward her marriage life. I use literary approach, that
is, theories of characterization and conflict to analyze the problem. I also use the
concept of Japanese and American marriage life together with the idea of
individual freedom and the equality based on American values. From the analysis
I found that the American values adopted by Misako are the values of individual
freedom and equality. The reason of she adopts the American values it is because
of the uncomfort feeling experienced by her toward her original values, that is,
Japanese values. The effects are concentrated on the people around Misako?s life,
that are Misako?s father, Hiroshi (her son), and also Kaname.