'Commonalities and Divergences Essay\r'

'The duality of Eastern and westbound in terms of spherical geography is something that has been examined on many levels, as the gloss of the cardinal hemispheres contrast in a re e real(prenominal)y blatant manner. Ideology nearly social int seasonctions to the look upon of education, food, music, maneuver, religion, etc. all play a list role in what makes each civilization so unique and gives the people of each area a strong sense of a global, national, and, on a micro level, personal identity.\r\nThe ethos of Japan, in particular Heian stage Japan (which lasted from 794 to 1185), is perceptibly different from new era westbound civilization not only because of fixture but due to a huge dawdle in time. This is not to say, however, that these enculturations are so marooned from one another that there is no ballpark ground or intersection between the mentalities. In spite of such glaring dissimilarities, it is possible to view parallels in the attitude between the c haracters in Murasaki Shikibu’s 11th century novel, The Tale of Genji, and people today.\r\n prototypical and foremost, there needs to be a commit definition and establishment of what comprises an aesthetic. Aesthetics, as defined by the Ameri end Heritage dictionary, is â€Å"the branch of philosophy that deals with the reputation and expression of beauty, primarily [but not solely] within the arts” (14). It is important to clarify that while a impression could be said to have â€Å"an aesthetic compendium” or a song is â€Å"aesthetically pleasant to the ears”, the concept of aesthetics is not exclusive to the art realm.\r\nIn this context, it is also a core take to be that an entire society upholds as sensible and proper, which washbowl range from the general to the minutely specific. More much than not, it is a concept that is ingrained into a purification from birth and propagated with each generation; when asked to describe wherefore the se rules of society are in place, the most vernacular answer would probably be, â€Å"that is just the way it is”, with smaller to no further discussion.\r\nIf one were to go against these aesthetics, he/she would be in jeopardy of becoming a social pariah, depending on the rigidity to which a agriculture sustains its view. With the definition of what an aesthetic is in mind, there should be a clear distinction between Heian-era Japanese and modern Hesperian aesthetics. One of two Western aesthetics that are germane to this discussion is a heightened level of openness and tidy sumdor in all forms of media and discourse. A strong personal voice is encouraged, specially in America, which is based on democracy.\r\nThe cl exact to fame for Western musicians, filmmakers, and authors lies in their lack of censorship and ability to link with people’s emotions on a very primal level. Nothing is held back, no matter how psychologically taxing the material may be; the aim of their art is catharsis. Another main broker of Western aestheticism is a general embrace of human grammatical gender and its various forms of expression. The most noticeable difference in how the West handles sexuality back tooth be analyzen in today’s â€Å"hook-up” culture, where onetime sexual encounters with some(prenominal) partners over a span of time is jetplace.\r\n deprivation against the tradition of abstinence until marriage (which is an equally common phenomenon), the modern approach to sexuality actively shifts the concentrate on from the emotional to the physical, forgoing personal, monogamous relationships for instant gratification. The media is a very large promoter of this movement, in addendum to introducing sex to junior and younger generations. The approach of promoting younger girls to get in touch with their sexuality similarwise wee tied with the age-old practice of female objectification has partially contributed to the cultural deterioration of the West.\r\nA molar concentration years earlier and on the other expression of the world, however, the Japanese embraced four major aesthetic elements, two of which are mono no aware and miyabi. The basic of the two, mono no aware, is a â€Å"cultivated sensitivity to the transient nature of the world” (Ikegami, material body notes). monaural no aware can be set up primarily in the early Heian poetry, which was compiled in the while’yoshu and Kokinshu, two well-known collections. Cherry blossoms are frequently associated with the sentiment of mono no aware, as exemplified in this excerpt from the Kokinshu: For scarlet blossoms\r\nTo be descending like snow is sorrow enough How do the blowing breezes purpose that they should scatter? (110) The sadness at the scattering of the ruby-red blossoms and the ultimate recognition that it is all part of nature’s design is a key component in mono no aware; the cherry blossoms, like most flowe rs, do not catch in bloom permanently and die in accordance with the seasons. This aesthetic is, in essence, the ability to valuate the artistic merit in this death and see that it is, in itself, beautiful.\r\nIt is very unlike Western culture as mono no aware requires a keen understanding for subtlety and an appreciation for ostensibly inconsequential matters, like blossoms blowing in the breeze. Miyabi, the piece relevant Japanese aesthetic, roughly translates to â€Å"courtly elegance, which entails personal refinement, restraint, and indirectness” (Ikegami, Class notes). Contrary to the Western aesthetic of frankness, the Japanese actively follow the method of bottling up their emotions and metaphorically habiliment a mask around the public that expertness not reflect how they actually feel inside.\r\nOn some levels, one could equate miyabi with E. B. Du Bois’ theory of the â€Å" duple consciousness”, which was developed in the late early 20th century to describe the inner postulate of African- Americans during the period of inequality and segregation; just as the blacks had to present themselves differently around whites in sound out to survive, the Japanese sacrifice dealing with interpersonal booking in order to maintain a rear level of peace and harmony within the society (McWhorter).\r\nThrough the lens of these four aesthetics, one can notice some overlap within the curtain raising five chapters of Murasaki Shikibu’s The Tale of Genji. In the second chapter, â€Å"The Broom Tree”, Genji and several friends are confine during a bout of bad weather and the chat eventually turns to the subject of women. The men begin inclination off their likes and dislikes, not straying far from the superficial. At one point, the 11th century courtiers make a statement that mirrors a Western ideal about women that, while now antiquated and offensive, is still propagated.\r\nIn gross objectification, Genji and his men p roclaim that, â€Å"a married woman’s main duty is to look after her husband…” (Tyler 25). The men further objectify women, talking about them like they’re moldable dust on a pottery wheel that they can knead to their liking; a woman, for example, must be â€Å"seen, not heard” but not also passive as to never stick up for herself. A woman must be dutiful in the house but not seduce too hard as to let her looks go. She can’t be too intelligent. She has to always relish nice. The list goes on; just like modern man, Genji and his friends describe women that could not possibly exist.\r\n'