The Real Samurai--"Musui's Story"

Paper Summary:

This paper examines the autobiography of a samurai entitled "Musai's Story." Because Musai describes himself so honestly in his autobiography, the paper's author finds him to be a likeable character, despite his flaws. These flaws include theft and cheating. The paper also describes the original role of the samurai and how it often degenerated.

From the Paper:

"In early feudal Japan, war played critical role in shaping the nation's social landscape. "Warring clans controlled much of the country...the struggle for control of that land eventually gave rise to the samurai." ("The Samurai, 2006) The samurai were a class of Japanese warriors who lived by a code known as bushido, or the way of the warrior. "The essence of the samurai code of bushido was total loyalty to the feudal lord; a willingness to give their lives in the defense of their lord, his honor, and their own; a strict regimen of martial training; and a sternly refined etiquette that governed their actions and behavior in all things...Part of the code of the samurai was to commit suicide rather than be captured in war or dishonored by failure." ("The Samurai, 2006) However, like so many ideals, this code of ethics was seldom realized perfectly at any time in Japanese history. ("The Samurai, 2006)"

Sample of Sources Used:

• "The Samurai." Fortune City. 2006. [15 Apr 2006] http://victorian.fortunecity.com/duchamp/410/samurai2.html#
• Kochiki, Katsu. Musui's Story. New York: University of Arizona Press, 1997.

More papers on The Real Samurai--"Musui's Story":

• Analytical Essay # 73362 : "MTV's "The Real World"
• Analytical Essay # 64776 : "The Last Samurai"
• Comparison Essay # 95296 : "'The Seven Samurai' & 'The Magnificent Seven'"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: