In A Grove

Fiction | Short Story | Adult | Published in 1922

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Download PDF

Summary

Background

Story Analysis

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Literary Devices

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools

Beta

Discussion Questions

Character Analysis

Tajomaru / The Bandit

Though he acts without apparent morals, as a bandit Tajomaru displays an awareness of class difference. He mocks the commissioner about his misuse of power, money, and words, questions the commissioner’s right to kill a man of lower rank (such as the bandit himself), and describes the samurai as being easy to manipulate with greed—a shameful weakness in a man who should be a living example of the strict samurai code of conduct, bushido. Tajomaru’s bluster and bravado make sense, as he likely views his Reputation and Legacy as his most valuable possessions; depicting himself as a terror to the establishment even in the face of his own execution remains his first priority.

While far from a Robin Hood archetype, Tajomaru does betray a softer side. Although he confesses to the rape of Masago and the murder of Takehiko, Tajomaru does allow a subtle note of regret for killing the samurai, admitting that not everything about his attack went according to plan: “[I]f you can take the woman without killing the man, all the better” (13). Whether true or not, he also weaves a marriage proposal to Masago into his confession. This could betray a need for social contact in what is otherwise a story of an unrepentant ruffian, but it is also a convenient inclusion; because many medieval societies viewed rape as something like a property crime—the theft of a woman’s virtue rather than a violation of the woman herself—marriage could constitute recompense.

Other characters generally depict Tajomaru in a negative light. To the police man, he is a notorious criminal whose documented thefts make him capable of anything; he claims that Tajomaru previously murdered a woman and a girl, although there is apparently no proof of this. Not surprisingly, Masago’s portrayal of Tajomaru is downright villainous, with him laughing at her bound husband after raping her. Only Takehiko hints at moral complexity, impressed by Tajomaru’s disgusted reaction to Masago’s (perceived) disloyalty—a depiction that speaks more to Takehiko’s character and preoccupations than to Tajomaru’s.

Masago / The Wife

The shortest of the three main accounts, Masago’s may be the most difficult to understand. She picks up her account after being assaulted by Tajomaru, so readers lack her perspective of fighting back with her hidden dagger—arguably her moment of greatest agency.

Masago’s account is filled with the overwhelming sense of shame at having been victimized, which the era’s cultural attitudes toward women’s sexuality likely exacerbate. That Masago feels she must maintain her Position in Society is clear in her immediate decision to murder her husband and kill herself to rectify this shame. It may seem odd that she doesn’t untie her husband or remove his gag, instead interpreting his expression nonverbally. This may indicate that the rules and dictates of being a noblewoman in feudal Japan supersede anything her husband may say to her. Assuming that she is telling the truth, her actions also speak to the confusion and emotional turmoil of extreme trauma. Masago claims her husband looked at her with revulsion after the rape. Societal views on gender and sexuality make this a possibility, but it could also be a projection of her own feelings. If so, she may see what she wants to see in Takehiko: acceptance of her own desperate desire to escape her situation. Although in her own mind she is too weak to follow through, her story suggests a need for people to know that she understood and attempted to execute her societal obligations.

Although they all agree on Masago’s beauty, the other accounts are less united on her character. Her mother describes her as “spirited” and “fun-loving” but is quick to deny the potential associations with promiscuity, saying she is sure her daughter has been with no one but Takehiko. The bandit describes Masago as displaying (what he views as) unwomanly “violence” in self-defense, while his portrayal of her after the rape is one of despair; his surprise at her actions suggests an inability to grasp the incident’s stakes for a woman. Takehiko also characterizes Masago as violent, but toward himself, describing a rapid shift from stupor to demands for her husband’s death. The samurai paints her as treacherous—even a seductress—though his description of her reaction (if true) could also reflect extreme distress.

Takehiko / The Samurai

The samurai’s account of the events suggests a desire to be seen as fair to the other characters, even in his animosity toward them. He clearly feels contempt that his wife apparently betrayed him, but he maintains that he supported her even after Tajomaru raped her. His turning point—Masago’s apparent acceptance of the bandit’s marriage proposal—indicates that he wants his survivors to remember him for his emotional bond with his wife rather than the physical one.

Likewise, he affords a certain amount of forgiveness and respect to Tajomaru. This is perhaps self-serving: A mere bandit defeating a samurai would be a source of great shame, so Takehiko may feel he needs to paint his murderer as an honorable man. Similarly, his claim that he committed seppuku clearly shows that he views himself as a warrior either in defeat or disgrace and that like his wife, he understands the societal obligations implied in that.

Masago’s account dwells on Takehiko’s (alleged) “hatred” toward her in the aftermath of the rape. However, she never blames him for his feelings, suggesting that contempt and disgust are a socially appropriate reaction from a husband whose wife has been “defiled”—a sign of his honorability. Masago’s mother likewise praises Takehiko, describing him as “gentle” and not the sort of man to seek fights. Tajomaru’s confession is more ambivalent, noting Takehiko’s skill as a warrior (something that reflects well on Tajomaru himself) but also claiming to have manipulated the samurai via greed. This is an embarrassingly base motivation for a warrior and nobleman, so it stands to reason that neither Takehiko nor Masago would mention it in their account.