Seishu discovered the tsusensan, an anesthetic. What I also liked reading very much, was the account of the relationship between Otsugi and Kae. I've read this in both English and Japanese. In those days, the life of a woman, whether married or single, was one of unending drudgery and toil. Kae has headaches and trouble with her eyes after the first experiment and loses her eyesight completely after the second experiment.
Being an attendant in the imperial court, Lady Murasaki is frequently involved with the activities of elite Japanese women. Ariyoshi's conservatism really got me in this one in ways that it didn't in The River Ki and The Twilight Years, which are both excellent novels that are complicated enough to avoid being too hampered by their questionable "I'm a Japanese woman who's relentlessly treated like shit by her entire family, but I've learned to love and appreciate my place in society because of Tradition" messaging. However, we have to recognize that they should be remunerated for their services. The story is beautifully told, but it is quite grim. I like the competition for Hanaoka Seishu's attention and affection between Otsugi the mother and Kae the wife. Domestic politics, the rights of the patient versus the power of the doctor, Eurocentrism wiping out records of other cultures getting to scientific discoveries first: the bone is yours to pick.
Otsugi herself has picked Kae as excellent material for a doctor's wife without being aware of the girl's near obsession with herself. I find this novel difficult to rate because although the writing leaves something to be desired, especially in the awkwardly preachy final chapter, the material is fascinating. Devastatingly for Kae, for well over a decade she doesn't produce a male offspring, which keeps her in a weak position vis-a-vis her mother-in-law. He was a real surgeon in the 18th-century who made his name for, amongst other things, being the first to perform surgery using a general anesthetic, and specifically for using the anesthetic for breast cancer surgery. One is her mother-in-law, Otsugi, whom she initially admires and has a close relationship too, and the other one is her husband, Seishu. In this narrative both Otsugi and Kae were vying for the love of the same man and both were determined to win that they both were willing to become test subjects and even die in order to prove their love and earnestness. The book's focus is on the emotional experiences of the women in the Hanaoka family.
This makes Kae really angry and so she insists on submitting herself for experimentation on Seishu's next trial. This fictionalized account of their life together is fascinating not only from a medical standpoint but also from a cultural, which is why I'm quickly becoming a fan of Ariyoshi's books. The second part, mostly fictional, revealed th Sawako Ariyoshi's The Doctor's Wife was enjoyable in that it was simply written whether that's due to Ariyoshi's writing or the way it was translated, either way it was a quick and smooth read. Kae, the wife, joins the household of the local doctor as the bride of his son, Hanaoka Seishu, who is still away pursuing his medical studies in Kyoto. She writes short novels and -- still -- I am unable to push past the halfway mark. Not so thick, a delicious read, recommend it! A good portion of the book is dedicated to the relationship between Kae and her mother in law. He felt that between the two all bases in surgery would be covered, from knowledge to experience to faith.
Some of the good points we get from reading this book acclaimed as her best novel In the fall of 1782, the Imoses held a lavish farewell party for their daughter who was about to set off to get married. Fascinated by the legends surrounding Otsugi, Kae goes on hunger strike when her father initially refuses to let her go to the Hanaoka household as the bride of Naomichi's eldest son Seishu, who has gone to Kyoto to learn medicine. I found it strange that it was a duty for Kae to produce a healthy child for the family, not to mention Otsugi made giving birth like a job by thanking her for doing so and asking her to give them a boy next time. The ending is amazing especially the last sentence and summarises the book and Ariyoshi's intent on writing this I think. This is an interesting portrayal of the situation of a Japanese wife in a traditional pre-modern family, dominated by her mother-in-law.
Kitchen is a novella that brings great focus onto this progression in history through the lens of gender fluidity. Among her themes have been the problems faced by women in the traditional Japanese household Hanaoka seishu no tsuma, 1967, translated as "The Doctor's Wife" , racial segregation in the United States Hishoku, 1964 , and environmental pollution Fukugo-osen, 1975. My feelings about the introduction are mixed. At a glance, this seems strangely low. Or perhaps had it enlightened their society to a new way of thinking? However, Ariyoshi drew her dual portrait so intimately that I felt I knew Kae, was her confidante, and could sympathize with her struggles. However, despite the cast of supporting characters having only a fleeting presence throughout the novel, each one of them serves important functions, e.
Ariyoshi first rose to prominence in the 1950s as a writer of short stories, but has since built an impressive reputation as a novelist dealing with crucial social issues. The secondary story is about one doctor's search for an anaesthetic so he can perform operations, especially for breast cancer. First published in 1966, The Doctor's Wife has quite an amazing premise. Reward or recognition came only indirectly, through the success of the male members of the family. The narrative of The Doctor's Wife consists of two intertwined parts.
Even the doctor seems more like a supporting character, even though his medical aspirations are at the heart of the novel and the household. Brief at around 170 pages, but still felt detailed. Ariyoshi first rose to prominence in the 1950s as a writer of short stories, but has since built an impressive reputation as a novelist dealing with crucial social issues. Kae, a young woman wed to a doctor, is held hostage in a relentless competition with her mother-in-law Otsugi. The ceremony which was about to begin would have to take place without the groom, who had gone to Kyoto more than half a year before. Being from an anesthesiology department I was always thought it was a Dr. Naomichi and Otsugi are aware that the medical profession is about to undergo dramatic changes, and all their children fall in line to support the son most likely to spearhead those changes.
It's so funny how Otsugi brags to Kae about bein I like the competition for Hanaoka Seishu's attention and affection between Otsugi the mother and Kae the wife. Hence, reading this novel makes me feel as though I am rafting down a river where the water is low and there's no current. I felt the culture driving her writing with Superstition also plays a part here, in that Seishu is reluctant to perform breast surgery as the Japanese belief that a woman can not survive without her breasts was prevalent in the 18th-century. Always smell good, not just clean. This book is really a short, exquisite piece! Still, what the wife and her mother-in-law endure for the love of one man and his mission to improve medical science is unfathomable. However, I think, they willingly share their devotion for the success of such anesthetic experiments, the first ever, on human beings by means of the dose prepared from certain Japanese herbal plants. Children remain at home for most of the day and are taught to communicate frequently, honestly and exclusively with their mothers.