Self Reflection
This
week in class we learned about the upper class life in Japan during the Heian
Age. We read a pros piece The Pillow Book
(a collection of personal notes, diary). One section of this diary was
“Nothing Can Be Worse” where the author talks about how nothing is worse than
her servants, drivers, or anyone working for her to be unkempt because it is a
direct reflection of her. I connected this to our society. It is often said
that people are a reflection of those closest to them. If you hang around with negative people who hate their lives
and say depressing things, you are most likely to be the same as them because
you have more negative than positive influences in your daily life. In the
author’s case she does not want other people to see her workers and have a bad
impression on her. Mrs. Whitley in class the other day was saying how when she
was younger she would wear her favorite shirt that had holes in them to school.
Her mother didn’t want her to wear the shirt because Mrs. Whitley was a representation
of her family. Look at the people who you surround yourself with because they are a direct reflection
of you.
When I first read that section in the Pillow Book, I thought the narrator was just being really selfish and arrogant. Now, I totally understand where she was coming from. I'd want my drivers to look good, 24/7, if they're around me because they are a reflection of who I am. If I keep company that is the opposite of who I am, inside and out, it raises questions. I always think that you should surround yourself with people who you admire and want to be, not people you look down upon or judge. That's the best advice you can give anyone going to college. You are your company, whether you like it or not.
ReplyDeleteAt first, I thought the narrator was being really picky and arrogant but now I finally understand where she was coming from. If I was an aristocrat back then, I would dress my servants nicely to represent my wealth and who I am as a person. It would be looked down upon if the people of my employment would look like rags. Even today, we pick the people we surround ourselves with to represent us.
ReplyDeleteI can connect to this. My mom always used the example of "your friends are the reflection of you." In that case you wouldn't want to be around obnoxious people because then people will get the idea that you are obnoxious. In the case of the Pillow Book I can understand where Shonagon was coming from because the people who work her are a reflection of herself. You used such a powerful picture great job!
ReplyDeleteI somewhat agree with Shonagan, the company you keep can be a reflection of yourself. Although I was probably absent the day Mrs Whitley described in detail Shonagan's "Nothing Can Be Worse" diary entree, I got the idea of what it was about just from reading it myself and reading the comments above. I see where Shonagan is coming from but I also criticize her for being selfish. She wants her servant, drivers, and employees to look good or dress well to make HERSELF look good, not because she actually gives a "hoot" about how they appear to society. I feel like I'm always going against the popular opinion(lol). I mean there's nothing wrong with Shonagan's way of thinking because if I had servants, I would want them to look well kept also simply because it's the right thing to do. If they were not her servants and not a reflection of herself, would she have cared if they were wearing rags? If they were just homeless people lying in the street looking unkempt and wearing raggedy clothes. would she have cared? Probably not. Why? Because they are not a reflection of herself and ultimately she only cares about how they look because it effects how she looks. SELFISH.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you too Myriam, because the first time i read the story, I just thought she was self centered and a little too concerned about people's appearance. She would not have taken a second look at them or cared if they were not HER servants.
ReplyDelete