Encounter with a Skull (Tae
dokuro, 1890)
by KODA Rohan
Ø The
class will “research” selected terms and concepts. They will be provided with a short biography
of the author.
Ø The
student will re-read the story within the context of Rohan’s
life, use of Japanese and Buddhist symbolism, and historical reverence for
other classic East Asian texts.
Ø The
student will revise a tale of his/her own choice, and adapt it to a different
cultural context using metaphor, cultural context and symbolism.
Summary
of “An Encounter with a Skull”: Rohan,
a self-assured young man becomes lost in the mountains, and after a frustrating
journey, comes upon an isolated hut in which a beautiful young woman, Tae,
lives. Taking pity upon Rohan, she invites him in, offering a hot bath, clean
clothes and dinner. Eventually, she
encourages him to stay the night, and after agreeing to her request, Rohan proceeds to fall asleep. After several hours, he realizes that she has
given him the only bedding she has, and so the two argue as to who shall
sacrifice comfort in order to sleep.
Eventually, she surprises Rohan when she
invites him to share her bed. Rohan deliberates her offer, but refuses it because he
fears that he will not be able to contain his physical attraction to her. He then convinces her to tell her story. Tae
was from wealthy family whose mother condemned her to loveless (and celibate)
life. A young nobleman dies of a broken
heart when she rejects his love. Tae
falls into a madness, and follows the young man’s spirit into the mountains
where she meets a wise man who teaches her to live life with understanding and
grace. As she finishes her story, the
sun begins to rise, the house and the young woman vanishes, leaving only a
bleached skull at Rohan’s feet. Upon reaching the neighboring village, Rohan learns of a hideous leperous
woman who has recently disappeared into the mountains, never to be seen
again.
Literary
Terms: Review the
following terms with students.
allegory
allusion
archetype
symbol
Pre-Reading: The students will write a short story or teleplay with the title “An Encounter with a Skull.” They should include at least two characters, and the use of a symbol. The story should be 2-3 pages, typed and double-spaced. You must also use 10 of the 20 vocabulary words on the attached worksheet.
Vocabulary: Worksheet attached
First
Directions for first reading of
the story:
Part I:
· Read Part I (stop at Part II)
· Summarize what you think has happened so far.
· Predict what you think will happen next.
· Answer study questions for Part I (worksheet #2 attachment)
Parts II and III: (Worksheet attached)
· Read Parts and III (the rest of the story)
· Have students follow directions on study sheet to continue close reading. (Worksheet attached.)
· Give quiz on story, preferable open note so that the students use their close reading notes.
Second Reading (Optional)
·
Look over the biographical information on Koda
Rohan in the lesson plan packet for some contextual
data on his background, era and writing style. There is a short fact sheet attached.
· Buddhist and Japanese Symbols: You may fill in the information, or have the students investigate the words themselves. One suggestion is to assign each student one or two words, have them look them up, preferably on the internet, and report them to class. The class should take notes on the sheet of the findings. Web sites to consider could include:
Ø http://jin.jcic.or.jp/access/index.html (general info on Japanese Literature)
Ø http://buddhism.kalachakranet.org (Buddhism)
Ø http://rosella.apana.org.au/~mlb/cranes/lore.htm (Thousand Cranes Network)
· Using the provided notes on the author, and Japanese and Buddhist symbolism, have students go back through the text and analyze the story one more time. Have them write a page (or perhaps a full-length essay) on whether or not the additional context changed their view of the story. Ask them for specific citation of lines and passages.
Encounter
with a Skull
Koda Rohan: 1867-1947
(According to 20th Century Literary Criticism, Vol.22, Gale Group, Detroit, 1987.)
·
Koda Rohan
is the pseudonym of Koda Shigeyuki.
·
He was the fourth son of a prominent family in
·
He was a student of Buddhism and Confucianism, and
was a scholar of classical Chinese poetry, and frequently used Buddhist
symbolism in his writing.
·
He wanted to write works that were spiritually
enlightening.
Themes:
· Mystic visions & the supernatural (often as warnings to stay on the path to enlightenment.
·
The Great Man—not easily fulfilled and constantly
looks for a greater, more meaningful goal.
·
Women—the ideal Rohan
women have male attributes because greatness is the same for all humans.
·
Suffering is an unavoidable part of life.
·
Compassion is a key characteristic of
enlightened. (One of the pledges of the
samurai is compassion.)
“Encounter with a Skull”:
Vocabulary
Define all of the following
words. Then, write a short story or
teleplay with the title “An Encounter with a Skull.” Include at least two characters, and the use
of a symbol. The story should be 2-3
pages, typed and double-spaced, using at least 10 of these 20 vocabulary words.
1.
dandy
2.
avocation
3.
courtesan
4.
begrudge
5.
audacious
6.
vacuous
7.
euphoric
8.
sham
9.
whimsical
10. defile
11. arabesque
12. chagrin
13. assiduous
14. vexation
15. facetious
16. prodigious
17. lewd
18. cajole
19. evanescent
20. inexorable
“Encounter
with a Skull” Part I: Study Questions
Writing in complete sentences,
answer the following questions on a separate sheet of paper.
1. What
do we learn about the narrator in the first paragraph? What is the point of
view of the story, i.e., is the story in first or third person. How would you describe the narrator?
2. The
narrator says that he has “made [himself] a companion of the dew” (90). What do you suppose he means by this? What kind of person would describe himself in
this manner? If you were to give
yourself an epithet like this, what would it be?
3. How
does the narrator describe the manner in which he spent the “past thirty-some
years” (90)?
4. As
an experienced reader, how do you interpret the idea of a path or road? How does this connect to the narrator’s
situation after he recuperates from an illness (90-1)? Cite a line or passage
that uses the metaphor of pathways.
5. How
does the narrator show he is full of pride?
Cite a phrase or passage to show this.
How does he also suggest that his pride can be a weakness? Cite a phrase or passage to show this. Have you ever experienced a time when your
pride interfered with your better judgment?
6. As
an experienced reader, how do you interpret the narrator losing his way?
7. Rohan comes
upon a small hut in the middle of nowhere.
When considering folktales of the American and European tradition (i.e.
Hansel and Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood), what do you think of isolated huts
in the middle of nowhere? What usually
happens in settings like this? What do
you predict will happen to Rohan at this hut?
8. Rohan
describes the inhabitant of the hut as a “heavenly maiden adorned with a halo”(94). What does this
description suggest about this woman?
9. On
page 94, what hints and foreshadowing suggests that this is not a normal
situation in which Rohan finds himself? What words and phrases in particular suggest
mystery and/or trouble?
10. The
young woman offers Rohan a bath. What do you think of that? In your opinion, could bathing be symbolic of
anything?
11. On
page 97, both characters describe themselves as carefree. Cite a passage in
which the characters claim this. Do you
believe that both of them are free of concerns and/or troubles at the moment? Why do you feel this way?
12. On
pages 98-100, both characters show their pride and sense of etiquette. How does each character show this? Cite a phrase or passage for both Tae and Rohan to show this.
How does this mutual concern create comedy?
13. Tae,
the young woman, surprises Rohan with an offer. What is the offer? What are Rohan’s
personal concerns in regards to the offer?
Cite a phrase or passage to show this.
What does this internal conflict say about Rohan?
14. What
is a moral dilemma? How does Rohan wrestle with his moral dilemma? Cite a phrase or passage that illustrates
this inner struggle. Have you ever had a
moral dilemma? How have you dealt with it?
15. Consider
the language of the last paragraph of part I (101). How are some of the descriptions paradoxical? What words or phrases perhaps suggest trouble
for Rohan?
“Encounter
with a Skull” Part I: Close Reading
Guide
Writing in complete sentences,
answer the following questions on a separate sheet of paper.
1. What
do we learn about the narrator in the first paragraph? What is the point of
view of the story, i.e., is the story in first or third person. How would you describe the narrator?
·
the
narrator sees himself as straightforward without much interest in “dandyism and
elegant avocations.” He is five feet
tall, a traveler and wanderer: “a five foot snail…driven by the desire to see
as much if the world as could be perceived…”
·
the
point-of-view is first person.
·
he
travels without much concern for planning, suggesting an adventurous sort.
2. The
narrator says that he has “made [himself] a companion of the dew” (90). What do you suppose he means by this? What kind of person would describe himself in
this manner? If you were to give
yourself an epithet like this, what would it be?
·
He enjoys nature and its
simplicity and beauty.
·
He is perhaps a bit of a loner
(communing with nature rather than people).
·
Answers will vary for personal
epithets
3. How
does the narrator describe the manner and mood in which he spent the “past thirty-some
years” (90)?
·
He has been “roving” with “no
tranquility”
·
He thinks a great deal, often
in reference to poetry
·
While often of “sober state of
mind”, he also enjoys “idle relaxation”
4. As
an experienced reader, how do you interpret the idea of a path or road? How does this connect to the narrator’s
situation after he recuperates from an illness (90-1)? Cite a line or passage that uses the metaphor
of pathways.
·
Paths and roads are often
suggestive of a search for self, or spirituality; of an unknown future; of the
need to continue, however reluctantly, with one’s life
·
Perhaps he must find a new
direction for himself. Perhaps his
illness is a metaphor for misdirection or unhappiness.
·
He is “at the end of the
mountain road” and the nearby mountains limit his options. According to the innkeeper, he “can hardly
find a trail [on the mountains] because the Pass is totally covered with snow”
(91).
5. How
does the narrator show he is full of pride?
Cite a phrase or passage to show this.
How does he also suggest that his pride can be a weakness? Cite a phrase or passage to show this. Have you ever experienced a time when your
pride interfered with your better judgment?
·
After the innkeeper suggests
that Rohan not push himself on the mountain path
after recovering from his illness, Rohan thinks to himself ,“ ‘ Does he take me for a city weakling…I’ll show
him the cantankerous temper and the stubborn pride of a contrary man’” ; also “
‘The Pass doesn’t scare me…Slight hardship would be a small price to pay for
the excitement of exploring a new trail’” (91).
·
He suggests his pride
undermines his good judgment: “ ‘In a sham display
over such a trivial matter, I stood firm on my thin cold legs’ ”. Later he says, “after
trudging several hundred yards, I was forced to concede that the innkeeper had
been right…” (91-2)
·
Naturally, answers will differ
6. As
an experienced reader, how do you interpret the narrator losing his way?
·
Losing his was could mean that
he is unsure of his future, purpose, personal success, spiritual faith.
7. Rohan comes upon a small hut in the middle of nowhere. When considering folktales of the American
and European tradition (i.e. Hansel and Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood), what
do you think of isolated huts in the middle of nowhere? What usually happens in settings like
this? What do you predict will happen to
Rohan at this hut?
·
Isolated huts (or locations) in
the western tradition is also seen in the guise of outside of city walls, in
the forest (beyond civilization and order).
This suggests, besides the threat of a non-civilized world,
danger/knowledge (Hansel & Gretel,
Little Red Riding Hood), chaos (Frankenstein, King Lear), horror (Dracula, horror movies), the wild and
pagan (Midsummer Night’s Dream, the
other worldly/supernatural (i.e. witches in fairy tales, Macbeth, The Hobbit).
·
Usually the protagonists’ lives
are endangered.
·
Answers will vary
8. Rohan describes the inhabitant of the hut as a “heavenly
maiden adorned with a halo” (94). What does this description suggest about this
woman?
·
She is so beauty that she is
not of this world; the woman could be supernatural, perhaps an angel or spirit
(and therefore dead), and therefore a possible danger.
9. On
page 94, what hints and foreshadowing suggests that this is not a normal
situation in which Rohan finds himself? What words and phrases in particular suggest
mystery and/or trouble?
·
“How strange! A woman in a mountain hut?”;
and: “Startled by her ethereal beauty, I moved a few steps back and stared hard
to she if she was not a specter…”; also: [s]he somehow gave me an eerie
feeling…”
10. The
young woman offers Rohan a bath. What do you think of that? In your opinion, could bathing be symbolic of
anything?
·
Before the bath, Tae (the
woman) washes Rohan’s feet; in western culture this
has some connections to Christianity, (John the Baptist and the act of baptism,
Mary Magdalene washing Christ’s feet) suggesting both spirituality,
purification and submissiveness. Additionally, a bath, especially one in an
isolated hut, seems quite intimate and sexual, especially considering that Tae
offers to scrub Rohan’s back.
11. On page 97, both characters describe themselves as carefree.
Cite a passage in which the characters claim this. Do you believe that both of them are free of concerns
and/or troubles at the moment? Why do
you feel this way?
·
Tae: “ ‘What momentous
circumstances could possible affect the life of such a humble person as
myself? I am just a carefree woman
called Tae…’” and “ ‘…[I am] carefree merely from
renouncing the world…’”
·
Rohan: “ ‘[I
am] a carefree man who calls himself Rohan’” and “
‘It is simply that I feel merry over mountains and rivers without knowing
why…’”
·
Answers will vary. However, the two characters seem to this
reader to “protest too much”; they also tend to taunt the other with word
games. Finally, we know that Rohan has some concerns about the mysterious woman.
12. On pages 98-100, both characters show their pride and sense
of etiquette. How does each character
show this? Cite a phrase or passage for
both Tae and Rohan to show this. How does this mutual concern create comedy?
·
When Rohan
discovers that Tae has not gone to bed after him, he says “ ‘…I’m
afraid I robbed you of your own bed…it’s nothing for me to spend the night just
leaning against an upright beam. But it pains me to see you sitting like
this.’” Tae responds that she “’ ‘agreed to put you up…[p]lease
don’t worry about me…’” The conversation
continues in with bickering back and forth.
Rohan says “ ‘[he is]
the man and, therefore, will therefore take [his] leave…it would be an eternal
disgrace…to sleep while leaving a woman to suffer privation. [He] would be ashamed to face [his] mother
and friends.’” Tae also insists that she
provide Rohan with the bed because “
‘there I such a thing as female pride.
[She] must have [Rohan} sleep comfortably or
[she] would be ashamed before the Buddhas in [her] eternal disgrace. The conversation continues in the same
manner through the middle of page 100.
·
Tae and Rohan
try and outdo each other in proving their ethics and morals to the point of the
absurd. Tae laughs at their conversation
at the bottom of page 99, and again at the top of 100. Rohan seems less
amused.
13. Tae,
the young woman, surprises Rohan with an offer. What is the offer? What are Rohan’s
personal concerns in regards to the offer?
Cite a phrase or passage to show this.
What does this internal conflict say about Rohan?
·
Tae asks Rohan
to join her in bed. Rohan
feels that Tae is “almost menacing” and is “clinched to the marrow with terror”
(100). He fears his “carnal desire” and
recites the poem “Elimination of Desires” in hopes the poem will give him the
will to rebuff Tae. Rohan
shows himself as human, tempted, disciplined and religious.
14. What
is a moral dilemma? How does Rohan wrestle with his moral dilemma? Cite a phrase or passage that illustrates
this inner struggle. Have you ever had a
moral dilemma? How have you dealt with it?
·
Rohan must
decide whether to reject her pleas (and sexuality) or whether to give into his
desires and “[commit] deplorable misdeeds in pursuit of success” and “Where
[men] should praise and respect women already chaste and virtuous, they seduce
them into transgressions…[t]hey bring shame upon their
own relatives and disgrace upon their own descendents.”
15. Consider
the language of the last paragraph of part I (101). How is the description of beauty
paradoxical? What words or phrases
perhaps suggest trouble for Rohan?
·
Rohan
describes Tae (indirectly as he refers to female beauty) as “the fair face of a
flowery beauty is nothing but a flesh-covered skull” (101). It is a paradox to align flowery beauty with
a skull, yet the sentence is true—any face is merely a flesh-covered skull.
·
References to the skull
suggests death or danger; also: Rohan urges good
young men and eminent persons to “break the spell of the demon…” and to “guard
against taking wrong steps, and those who have already fallen onto the deadly
course should lose no time in reversing their direction…” He also refers to evil
and the freeing of the spirit, and therefore, referring to death and afterlife.
Close
Directions: Follow themes and figurative language (symbols, allusions, metaphors, imagery) as you find them in these last two parts of “Encounter with a Skull”. Consider what you learned in the readings of the first part, and refer back to that worksheet if that is helpful. You will use these notes in your final test or essay.
·
Find any phrases and passages that you think are
important in plot and/or character development, writing style and figurative
language, theme and/or motif.
·
Record the phrases and/or passages, using the MLA
procedure for quotations. Make sure you
include page number.
·
In complete sentences, explain why you chose the
particular phrase or passage and its significance to the story.
Themes:
Temptation/sexuality Isolation/loneliness Grace
Family/filial piety Propriety Discipline
and self-denial
Nature as pure Feminine v. masculine Happiness
Youth and beauty Enlightenment/finding
one’s way Love
Extended
metaphors and symbols:
·
Clothing Jewels Water
·
The Wilderness Birds/Cranes Music
·
Trees Mountains Pathways
Encounter Teacher Notes: Parts
2-3