Saint Marys University

Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya

School of Education

A Critical Analysis of Rynosuke Akutagawas In a Grove

As an Affirmation and Negation to Plato and Aristotles Tenets on
literature

In Partial fulfillment of the Course Requirement in

English 412: Literary Criticism

Submitted by:
Claudine M. Tabora
BSEd English 4

Submitted to:
Prof. Mabel D. Mamaoag
Professor of Literary Criticism

July 2013

I.

Introduction
Traditional story writing revolves on the common structure

having a beginning, a climax and an end. This type of story

writing coupled with elements such as heroic deeds, tragedies and
catharsis is supported by the traditional literary critics Plato
and his student Aristotle. In connection, this paper will discuss
the non-traditional story form found from the story In a Grove
by

Rynosuke

Akutagawa,

as

affirmation

and

negation

on

the

tenets formulated by the two classical literary critics: Plato

and Aristotle.
Platos

take

on

literature

claims

that

poets

[writers]

should write literature that praises noble or heroic actions that

writers works should celebrate only the positive contributions
within the state and that writers must conform to the goals of
the state or be exiled. In addition, Plato also claimed that our
senses give us imperfect knowledge, because they tell us about
specific objects (Encarta, 2009). This supports his advocacy on
studying to be able to form sound moral judgement and reasoning
(Golden, L. 1997. As Platos protg, Aristotle also produced
standards which as he claimed would produce a sound literary
piece. He proposed that a literary piece should above all place
emphasis on the tragedies suffered by the known personalities and
elite status for catharsis to take place. His theory claims that
literature is and should be the avenue for the soul clenching

stories particularly tragedies encountered by the nobles and the

powerful societies so as to have a powerful effect on the common
people

who

as

believed

have

particular

respect,

fear

and

admiration to the elites. (Brandsher, C. 1957)

Literature exists with form, structure, sound and sense.
(Larson, J. 1984) In support of Plato and Aristotles claim,
Larson cites that in writing and formulating a literary piece
there

should

be

definite

structure

which

as

stated

by

Aristotle, there should be a beginning, a body, and an ending. He

also states that sound and sense is considered, just as the
element of poetry has. By this we define sense as the proposed
catharsis and hamartia of Aristotle. In the light of the story
In a Grove by Rynosuke Akutagawa, the structure is seen as
unconventional and does not follow the structure proposed by the
classic critics.
The theme of murder also questions the claim of Platos
doctrine

that

the

literary

piece

should

celebrate

noble

and

heroic actions as well as poets having a good moral judgement and

an impeccable moral character, which also questions the message
conveyed

on

the

story

which

is

murder.

To

this

we

see

the

negation and the violation of the story to the tenets proposed

and claimed by Plato and Aristotle.
Hence, the story also conforms to the tenets proposed by
Aristotle seen on the Poetics. The story provided characters that

proved to be of important social status, and that the story

reached

hamartia

as

seen

on

the

plot

of

the

story,

most

specifically seen on the sudden decision change of the robber

Tajomaru, as seen below:
(The story of the murdered man, as told through a medium)

This is not the whole of her sin. If that were all, I would not be tormented so much in the
dark. When she was going out of the grove as if in a dream, her hand in the robber's, she
suddenly turned pale, and pointed at me tied to the root of the cedar, and said, "Kill him! I
cannot marry you as long as he lives." "Kill him!" she cried many times, as if she had gone
crazy. Even now these words threaten to blow me headlong into the bottomless abyss of
darkness. Has such a hateful thing come out of a human mouth ever before? Have such
cursed words ever struck a human ear, even once? Even once such a (A sudden cry of
scorn.) At these words the robber himself turned pale. "Kill him," she cried, clinging to his
arms. Looking hard at her, he answered neither yes nor no but hardly had I thought
about his answer before she had been knocked down into the bamboo leaves. (Again a
cry of scorn.) Quietly folding his arms, he looked at me and said, "What will you do with
her? Kill her or save her? You have only to nod. Kill her?" For these words alone I would
like to pardon his crime.
While I hesitated, she shrieked and ran into the depths of the grove.

These statements provide the evidence of the story having to

conform to Aristotles tenet that literary works should aspire to
inspire catharsis or the change of heart through purification and
hamartia or a flaw in the character of the protagonist of a
literary

tragedy

that

brings

(Encarta,

2009)

this

produces

about
the

his

or

initial

her

downfall.

stage

towards

purification. In addition, the story implies the positive and

negative effects in following and or conforming with the tenets
set by the Aristotle and Plato.

Statement of the Problem:

Specifically,

this

paper

aims

to

answer

the

following

questions:

What are the violations seen on the story In a Grove by

Rynosuke Akutagawa, in reference to the proposed tenets
from the Doctrines of Plato and the Poetics of Aristotle?

What the conforming elements of the story in reference to

the proposed tenets from the Doctrines of Plato and the
Poetics of Aristotle?

What are the positive implications of having to conform and/

or violate the tenets proposed by the classical literary
critics in writing literary pieces?

II.

Review of the Theories

Moral and good literature celebrates the noble actions of

the state and of heroism.(Plato) This encompasses the comprising
ideas proposed by Plato. The great philanthropist states that
literature

is

clear

avenue

for

poets

to

spread

the

good

contributions of the state and its people, having known to be the

philanthropist of logic and good governance he sees literature as
an

ideological

apparatus

in

spreading

unity

among

people.

According to Plato, the knowledge they gain this way would help
them govern wisely and create the best conditions for the people
they rule (Encarta,2009)
Aristotles

Poetics

encompasses

the

tenets

having

the

emphasis on its effects on the society which made rise to the

ideology of catharsis and hamartia or the effects of the highest

form of literature- Tragedy on the society. He proposes on the
idea that if the society is able to understand and sympathize
with the literature on the tragedies suffered by the elite, this
will eventually elicit hamartia or the strong, out of the world
reactions of felt by the society. This will then be the initial
stage towards catharsis or the purification of the heart.
III. Summary
In Rynosuke Akutagawas (1922) short story In a Grove,
seven statements, including one confession was able to build the
story of the murdered samurai found lying within the grove. The
story

produced

these

testimonies

in

no

particular

order;

it

disregarded the time, place and persons involved. The first of

the testimonies came from the woodcutter, who found the dead body
amidst cedar collecting. The second came from the Buddhist priest
who saw the Samurai and his wife travelling. The third was from
the policeman who led the arrest. The fourth statement came from
the mother-in-law of the murdered man who confirmed his identity
as being a Samurai. The fifth and sixth statement came from the
confession of the murderer and the alleged wife who betrayed the
murdered man. Lastly, the statement of the murdered man was taken
into

account

with

nonconventional

way

medium.

having

to

This

story

account

is

structure

statements

from

in

police

records as having to build the entireness of the story. There is

no clear account of a resolution. The story revolves around the
juxtaposition of statements having one common subject that binds
the entirety of story which is murder.
IV.

Analysis and Discussion

(Shibran, 1984) reacts that the story In a Grove of Rynosuke

Akutagawa

is

unconventional

psychological
structure,

narration

theme

and

of

plot.

events
This

given

an

support

of

Shibran elicits the negation or the violation of the story having

to disregard the tenets proposed by Aristotle on structure. This
story revolves around the theme of murder, which violated the
proposed claim of Plato on the subject of a literary piece which
should solely revolve on heroism, and the nobleness of the state.
He stated that poets should be good and honorable, thus poets in
return produces noble writing. Hence, it is believed that Plato
and

his

students

are

advocates

of

good

moral

and

logical

reasoning it only follows that he see literature as a means of

promoting guidance, and as a mean of educating society to conform
with the laws as support for good governance. However, the story
also follow Aristotles tenet on the idealism on literature as a
means of eliciting hamartia which is evident on the