Hototogisu-Namiko

Hototogisu-Namiko A Realistic Novel

           The story Hototogisu, also known as Namiko, by Kenjiro Tokutomi is about the life of a girl named Nami who comes from a noble background.    After Nami's mother passed away when she was eight years old, Nami was raised by her nurse, Iku, father General Kataoka, and eventually her stepmother who married in a year later.  Her stepmother grew up in England as a child  and became Europeanized; therefore, her Western beliefs changed the the lifestyle of the Kataoka's traditional Japanese household.  Unfortunately, Nami was mistreated by her stepmother who did not find her an agreeable child and was subject to misfortune.  This continued for ten years until she married Kawashima Takeo and moved into his house.  Takeo was a sailor who had great fortune and was part of the nobility.  Her newly married life was expected to be happy however, she also had the unfortune of having to deal with Takeo's widow mother, Nami's mother in law, Madame Kawashima.  Throughout the story, Madame Kawashima grows jealous of Takeo and Nami's close relationship making Nami's new life difficult.  Eventually Nami catches the disease hemorrhage and is sent to Zushi to recover.  Takeo's cousin, Chijiwa who had fallen in love with Nami but was rejected for marriage and humiliated by Takeo after a money incident takes this opportunity to get his revenge on the young couple.  Eventually by the end of Book II, Takeo's mother, brainwashed by Chijiwa and scared for the future of the Kawashima household, divorces the couple without either  individual's consent.  Takeo is called on duty and leaves for the West angry and sad while the poor Nami returns to her household and recovers with her nurse Iku.  The rest of the story is to be continued in Book III.
             This fictional story contains many aspects and characteristics of melodrama.  The first prominent aspect is "realism."  Brooks mentions in his reading "Melodramatic Intro," that "within an apparent context of 'realism' and the ordinary, [melodramas] seemed in fact to be staging a heightened and hyperbolic drama, making reference...to concepts of darkness and light, salvation and damnation.  Part of the title of this short story is included "A Realistic Novel."  Namiko is a realistic novel but within that realism contains concepts of light, the beautiful Namiko who wants to live a free life, and darkness with her constant misfortunes and vengeful characters such as Chijiwa.  In addition, there is realism within this story from Japan's feudalism and the nobility in exchange for military service having fortune and land.  Moreover, Japan has had a history of hemorrhagic fever during World War II and the tragedy of Nami catching this disease is a representation of many who had suffered realistically from it.  Within the story though is dramatization from Nami's hard life, the jealousy of Takeo's mother, to the the character Hyozo Yamaki's sneakiness.
              Another aspect of melodrama that I noticed in the story was gender, family, and class mobility.  Catherine Russell mentions and explains in her reading Inside/Outside, Melodrama that social structure plays a large role in melodramas.  This holds true for Namiko because she lives ina  time of feudalism, where social status was of importance; especially, when making connections among the military headquarters.  Chijiwa always says in Namiko how he is a commoner with low status and that to rise up the class mobility, he needs money, connections, and to be married to a woman of nobility such as Nami-san herself.  In Chapter 6 of Book II, Takeo's mother tries to convince Takeo to divorce Nami to prevent the spread of hemorrhage among the Kawashima family.  She is afraid of the end of the family line.  The important part of this conversation is her perspective of gender. She tells Takeo, "women are not equal to men," and that if Namiko, a woman, is not contributing to the family she is of no use and should be divorced.  The conflict of Nami's divorce and Chijiwa's revenge is all melodramatic and behind it all is social status. 
              Another melodramatic characteristic is "dokufu."  According to the Ito reading, there are women in melodramatic fiction that can be referred to as "dokufuku," evil vice women by nature.  Nami's stepmother, is a symbol of "dokufu" because she mistreats Nami and forces those around her to do the same or it will bring even more harm to Nami.  However, Nami's stepmother also contrasts from woman of melodrama.   She spent a lot of her childhood in Europe, and adopted the Western culture.  Moreover, she had lots of power over the household including General Kataoka who always claimed that Nami's stepmother knew better than him whenever there was a conflict. 
              I also noticed something interesting throughout this story as well as from other melodramatic stories such as Spring-Color Plum Calendar.  The melodramas often have flowers, and Namiko especially, had a lot of flowers.  I wondered if the flowers had any symbolic meanings or referred to something within the story.  I noticed that in Book II Ch. 9, there is mentioning of wild lilies, which after some research symbolize rebirth or transformation of emotions or traumas that are held in women's bodies that affect her health.  This is the chapter where Nami returns home no knowing of the divorce until after arrival.  The lilies could symbolize that her divorce is a big change in her life and it is true that there will be transformations of emotions and traumas since she is ill.  Another flower often found throughout this story are plum blossoms, which represent strength and endurance.  Throughout this story, Nami has endurance misfortune from her stepmother and Madam Kawashima.  She has also built up strength to withstand harsh treatment although it is a hardship.  In Book I Chapter 3, Nami and her husband Takeo go for a picnic and pick ferns.  Ferns symbolize hope, confidence, wealth, and happiness.  It is said that ferns are give to someone you care about and this is a good representation of Nami and Takeo's marriage at the moment and their love for each other.  In addition to that, the moment after Chijiwa talks to Nami after the picnic and attaches violets to his shirt, the flowers represent nobility, intuition, dignity, food fortune, and enhancement.  All of which is what Chijiwa strives to achieve and his pride.  Flowers may not be significant to melodrama but they seem to have a symbolic meaning throughout Namiko and the relationships and characteristics within the story.