While I know that Professor Serrano says that these works are actually meant to be discernable by the western reader, I am not sure this is true. As somebody who has little background in WW2 Japan history beyond "they dropped two atomic bombs, and japan may have already surrendered at that point," plus my little-to no knowledge of cultural icons, significances, and practices leaves me feeling that I am missing a critical link when I read some of the stories. "The Rash" sticks out most in my mind here. I can't tell if the mushroom is meant to represent the man's possible impotence in any way, and what the symbol of the mushroom actually connotes.
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
Mushrooms
There are several things going on in Tatsumi's work. First, the art quality. He uses line beautifully and I think that black and white is definitely fitting for the work we are reading, especially as it is dealing with the aftermath of the bombs. When the politics are studied, and when the stories are read- it turns out to be in an incredible gray area, which I think the black and white style contrasts against nicely.
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I definitely agree with you Charlotte the linkage between the historical significance and representational illustration does not connect.
ReplyDeleteI think that the mushroom does connote impotence, but perhaps impotence suffered on a greater scale by all of Japan through the mushroom cloud that stood above both Osaka and Hiroshima.
ReplyDeleteRe: mushroom symbolism - the introduction says that mushrooms are "a stock manga symbol with erotic overtones." In this case, the old man looking sadly at a mushroom in his bed implies that he is depressed about his own impotence, and the appearance of the mushroom in the woman's bed as the old man stands outside the door/window is less random and more menacing.
ReplyDeleteA quick google search also brought up the use of mushrooms in anime to symbolize sadness/depression, but this isn't really from a reliable source and could be wrong.