In Higuchi Ichiyo’s “The Thirteenth Night,” the protagonist, Oseki, is in an abusive marriage. She travels late in the evening to her parent’s house to request that they allow her to divorce her abusive husband and return to her father’s house. However, after overhearing her father’s discussion with her mother about how her brother’s position in life had changed due to her marriage, Oseki decides she would not tell her parents about her husband’s abuse. However, her parents pressed her about the reason for such a late visit which led to Oseki telling her parents about the abuse and requesting a divorce. After hearing the advice of both her parents, Oseki decides it is best she remains married to her abusive husband for her son’s sake. I have chosen to analyze Oseki because her actions and thoughts are central to the story. The realism of her time can be seen through her story.
Oseki’s conflict is whether she can get a divorce or not from her abusive husband. When she begins to tell her parents about the abuse that she suffers from her husband, Oseki stated, “When I put Taro to bed, I knew I would never see him again” (Ichiyo 1110). She knows that if she leaves her husband, not only would she lose her son but her family’s position in their community would diminish. If she stays with her abusive husband, Oseki knows he will continue to abuse her in front of the servants and her son because of her lack of education. Oseki’s actions are of a woman who is trying to prevent her parents from hearing the bad news until it is necessary for her to tell them.
Oseki wants to tell her parents about her abusive husband and requests a divorce from him, but she hesitates. At the beginning of the story, Oseki arrives at her parents’ house. “She paid the driver, sent him away, and stood dejectedly at the door to her parents' house” (Ichiyo 1107). She listens as her father praises her marriage which has brought her family good fortune. Her brother’s position in the community has risen due to his connection with Oseki’s husband. While overhearing the discussion she rethinks her divorce request. However, her father notices her and welcomes her indoors. Her parents are excited to see her, so she does not tell them the exact reason she has come to their house. "Instead, she took several puffs on her pipe, coughing into her sleeve to hide her tears” (Ichiyo 1108). She cries when she tells her story of abuse to her parents and listen while they give advice. Ever the dutiful daughter, she agrees with her father that she is better off staying with her husband. Her father explained that not many couples have a great marriage, and her focus should be on her son.
At the end of the story, Oseki encounters her childhood friend, Roku. He tells her that his life became terrible after she had married. He neglected his wife, and she left him while his baby daughter had died. I believe Roku serves as a testament of what Oseki’s father met when he said not everyone have a great marriage. Oseki’s marriage could be much worse for her and her son. If I was living during that time and divorce met never seeing my child again, I would have probably followed the same path as Oseki. While her husband is abusive, leaving a child with such a person or a potential stepmother who may or may not like him would be too much to handle.
Works Cited
Ichiyo, HiguchiHiguchi. The Thirteenth Night. Trans. Robert L. Danly. N.p., 1895. Print.
