James Clavell Essay - Taipan and Shogun :: essays research papers

pile Clavells Exploration Of Ancient Oriental CustomsJames Clavell certainly had his work press out for him when he chose to write his Asian Saga series of novels. Exposing the customs and culture of the ancient Orient is a daunting task for even the most commensurate professional. However, to do so with an intriguing and entertaining medium is verging on impossibility. Until the last two centuries, both China and Japan remained time capsules that held within them unique societies ground on radically different values and perspectives. This national seclusion in China and Japan was a direct result of the countries trade policies and their view of foreigners. two countries believed that their country was truly the land of the Gods and that all foreigners were inferior. This belief lead to laws that acted as force fields to repel Western society. Clavells in-depth biography explains how Clavell spent differentiate of his life as a prisoner of war in Japan (JamesClavell.net, par. 2), and thus was able to couple his experiences with his natural gift of story telling. Throughout James Clavells novels Taipan and Shogun, Clavell cleverly intertwines the plot with beliefs and customs of ancient Hong Kong and Japan, respectively. Clavell does not merely present the oriental culture, but he incorporates all of his characters in the puzzle out of portraying the different aspects of their way of life. In doing this, Clavell is able to educate the reader without losing their interest.Throughout the two novels, Clavell stresses the importance of face and honour to the Oriental cultures. Early on in the novel Shogun, Clavell opens the readers eyes to the absolute importance of honour. Honour, in Japan, came in many forms. A person of low status was unceasingly expected to honour a superior by treating them with the utmost respect. One of the most important ways to pay respect to a superior was by bowing to them. Clavell demonstrates that this ritual of bestowing honou r was extremely important when one man is purposefully disrespectful by riseing deliberately, without bowing (Clavell, 1975, 34). The astonishing result of this disrespect is that the superiors kill sword made a hissing silver arc and the mans head toppled off (Clavell, 1975, 34). Although this seems extremely ridiculous and uncalled for, the reader realizes that if a samurai stone-broke their code of honour, or bushido, then they had shamed themselves forever. When this occurred, their life no longer had meaning and was disposable at the will of their superiors.