Preview

Mark Ravina's the Last Samurai Essay Example

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1462 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Mark Ravina's the Last Samurai Essay Example
Fall of Tradition: The Last Days of Feudal Japan

C. A. Pollock

Mark Ravina. The Last Samurai: The Life and Battles of Saigo Takamori. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2003. 265 pages. Hardcover $32.50; softcover $16.95.

During the fall of the Tokugawa shogunate and the succession of a modernizing Meiji government, the so-called Satsuma Rebellion of 1877 became the definitive last stand of Japanese feudalistic resistance towards modernization. The life of Saigo Takamori, the books subtitle and the samurai whom led the rebellion, is romantically portrayed by Ravina as a man from humble origins that rises to the top of the political realm just to realize the loss progress brings. The author leads the reader through Saigo’s life, the historical events surrounding his life, and the events which lead to the rebellion. Ravina, along with historians Morris and Yates all agree that Saigo, posthumously, became the representation of all that is good in the people of what was once Tokugawa Japan's southernmost domain, Satsuma. Ravina gives much engaging detail about the existence of this samurai from Satsuma: his origins, family life, and education under the Satsuma gojū system, a largely self-regulating institution for social control and the schooling of samurai youth. Ravina reveals some of the fascinating aspects of this tradition, which include the custom of hiemontori, a competition created for young samurai to be rewarded with the right to practice their swordsmanship on human cadavers; and a homoerotice atmosphere between student and teacher. Due to a serious injury to his right arm, Saigō concentrated his energies more towards the scholastic side of education than the martial, and he eventually became a teacher held in high regard. Ravina describes the sensations of great joy that Saigo experienced during his exile due to the children he taught on his tiny island. During the Tokugawa period, it was a requirement for all men serving a domain

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    In the 1450s, Japan was a place of turmoil and unrest. Angered by the high rents they had to pay, peasants began revolting against their lords. To quell this chaos, the lords began hiring samurai to put down the rebellions. Taking advantage of the situation, the samurai began making demands of these lords so that by the end of these revolts, most of the new daimyo were former samurai. With these new daimyo in power, they began to clash with one another. This infighting erupted into a civil war that eventually ended with no apparent victor. This became known as the “Era of Independent Lords”.…

    • 548 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Musui’Story is a samurai’s autobiography that describes the Tokugawa society. Katsu was born as the third son of Otani family, and was given away to a family with hereditary privilege. Unlike Hagakure: The book of the Samurai, and other Samurai books written functionally. Musui’Story taught all Samurai after him a lesson by telling his unworthy and complicated life of a samurai’s way, running, cheating, lying, challenges and triumphs. This essay would analyze Katsu an a subject to demonstrate the real samurai’s life reflecting the class dedifferentiation in the late Tokugawa Era.…

    • 657 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Paul Varley's Loser-Hero

    • 1420 Words
    • 6 Pages

    In the book “Warriors of Japan as Portrayed in the War Tales”, as the title suggests, author Paul Varley studies numerous war tales from hundreds of years of Japanese history, throughout the rise of the samurai warrior culture and the societal change that went along with it. From ancient war tales like the Shōmonki to tales firmly in the medieval times like the Taiheiki, the changes in battlefield customs and warrior society are presented and studied as they change and evolve. Despite all the social changes occurring in these time periods, a certain element stays the same throughout all these tales, the warriors themselves.…

    • 1420 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Essay On Samurai Rising

    • 537 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Written by Pamela Turner and illustrated by Gareth Hinds, Samurai Rising is a biography on the fascinating life of Minamoto Yoshitsune, one of the most well known samurais in Japan. Yoshitsune was a member of the Minamoto family, who were defeated by their main rival, the Taira family, when he was still just an infant. Most of the adult Minamoto were killed, while their children were sent to live in exile in various parts of Japan. Little is known about Yoshitsune’s early childhood, but there are many accounts on the battles that he led against the once victorious Taira. The personalities of the characters, and the relationships between them, though, are what stood out to me the most in this book.…

    • 537 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Broken Spears written by Miguel Leon-Portilla is a book that goes into depth about the conquest of Mexico starting in 1519 from an Aztec point of view. The book discusses everything in depth about what occurred during this time period of the conquest. It discusses when the Aztecs first take news of the arrival of Cortez and the Spaniards comparing it to small floating mountains off the Mexican coast, all the way to the revolt of the Aztec people that lead to the end of the Aztec civilization. This book portrays the story from an Aztec point of view so it is clear that the author is on the Aztecs side.…

    • 339 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Samurai and Knights were warriors in the Middle Ages. Samurai were from Japan and Knights were from Europe. Although they didn’t have any contact with each other, they were very similar. To become one of these warriors, each person had to go through intense training. After becoming a warrior, they had to pledge loyalty to a lord. After pledging loyalty to a lord, the Knight or Samurai received money or land for their services. The Samurai of Japan and the Knights of Europe were very similar. This essay will answer the guiding question using facts taken from excerpts, charts, and other documents.…

    • 345 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    In medieval Japan, the relationship between warriors and clan chiefs was very intense. An outcome of this feudal arrangement was a strict code of warrior behavior emerged known as Bushido (way of the warrior), which called upon warrior to sacrifice his life for his master. Such an act was thought of as the highest from of honor and respect. It was during the twelfth century that these warriors became known as samurai, meaning “those who serve.” Although the samurai were mainly soldiers, many excelled in the arts and philosophy. In these pursuits, the samurai normally showed the same type of discipline that characterized their martial…

    • 3342 Words
    • 14 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Samurai William

    • 1724 Words
    • 7 Pages

    In Giles Milton’s novel, Samurai William, the reader is taken to the other side of the globe to experience the history of old world Japan. Though out the book, Milton provides reason for complex historical events and actions, while still communicating the subtleties and mysterious customs of the Japanese. The novel also closely examines the wide range of relationships between different groups of Europeans and Asians, predominantly revolving around the protagonist, William Adams. The book documents the successes and failures that occur between the two civilizations, then links them back to either the positive or negative relationship they have. As the book goes on, the correlation is obvious. Milton shows us the extreme role that religion, etiquette and trade played in establishing positive relations between visiting Europeans and the Asian civilizations.…

    • 1724 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Before 1954 you would never have seen an African American in a White school. Once 1954 rolled around and the U.S. Supreme Court came to the decision to end segregation. In “Warriors Don’t Cry,” Melba Pattillo shares her story with the world of just how tough it was to be one of the first black students in an all white school. Her story shows how her perseverance and the mental and physical torture she went through would change the world forever.…

    • 647 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Why Was Samurai Important

    • 374 Words
    • 2 Pages

    In conclusion the stated reasons of why the ancient Samurai held honor and pride in his life, and how they had special and specific training to enhance fighting skills, and how to use materials to survive on the battlefield. Samurai were the brave warriors that had honor to sacrifice and fight for. With the armour they wore and the way they fought, they had followed…

    • 374 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Samurai's Garden

    • 519 Words
    • 3 Pages

    In Gail Tsukiyama's The Samurai's Garden Stephen is sent from his homeland in China to Japan to recover from tuberculosis. In his journey to recovery he begins to learn from the culture of the Japanese. Stephen soon discovers that Matsu, the family's servant, shows quintessential characteristics of Japanese culture. Matsu's traits can often be compared to those of medieval Japanese warriors. Throughout Samurai's Garden, Matsu shows characteristics of a true samurai.…

    • 519 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    47 Ronin Summary

    • 500 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The purpose of this novel is to give an accurate retelling of the original 47 ronin from 1701 in Japan. John Allyn Jr. is incredibly qualified to retell this story. He attended the Army Specialized Training Program at Stanford University in 1944, where he majored in Japanese language. He later attended the Army Intensive Japanese Language School at the University of Michigan in 1945. He worked as Pictorial Censor of the Civil Censorship Detachment of G2, SCAP, in Osaka and Tokyo during the first four years of the U.S. occupation of Japan. He returned to America and attended UCLA where he received his master's degree in Theater Arts in 1951.…

    • 500 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Yet, as the war ended, her immediate reaction she would have towards these lost years was one of an “overwhelm[ing]…sense of emptiness,” that “all that effort…had been in vain” (192); her sadness arose not out of the loss of her childhood per se, but that she was unable to contribute enough to save her country from defeat. Tanaka’s testimony brings to light just how all-encompassing and convincing the militaristic spirit was for children of that era. Though she looks back now with “embarrassment….at how [she]’d been” (192), it is clear that, within the fog of wartime Japan, she felt a militaristic way of life was natural and even obvious given her heritage.…

    • 958 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the first battle scene the Japanese army is unprepared even though that had a huge advantage over the samurai as far as technology goes. The samurai used bow and arrows, swords, spears, and rode on horseback. They wore traditional dress such as large metal armor and ornate headpieces. The Japanese army wore modern outfits and fired their arms in synchronized lines. The samurai reigned victorious. It was considered an honor among the samurai to die in battle while fighting for what they believed in. They practiced a form of suicide known as hari cari if they were disloyal. Even if they were wounded in battle and were soon to die, they'd rather kill themselves then be defeated by the enemy. The American general is captured as a prisoner and brought back to the samurai village. He is taught "bushida" or the ways of the warriors. The village was very primitive and showed no signs of being modernized. Women were subordinate to men, which was shown when Taka was forced to obey her brother. These people were very religious and practiced a form of Buddhism which included deep meditation.…

    • 545 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The “National Razor” or the Guillotine was used to kill many during the Reign of Terror. The Reign of Terror was the period during the French Revolution beginning in 1789 and ended in 1794. King Louis XVI was ruling France during this time. He was disliked by many while all of this was going on. Many people at home starved because of King Louis’ selfish decisions. Many people now ask, was the Reign of terror justified? This question has been out there for a while now. I believe the Reign of Terror was not justified because King Louis XVI was like a dictator, and left many people to live in poor conditions, many people died as a result under his rule.…

    • 645 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays