The Northwest times. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1947-1955, 1950-10-25

rors. They are not machines.
The tragi-comical antics of Dag
wood seen to revolve around the
question of whether a husband
should be a machine or a human
being. Unfortunately Dagwood seems
to have settled down into a machine.
The Japanese husband, on the other
hand, would rather be human be-
ing. However the problem here is
the fact that the japanese husband
has a tendency to enjoy his freedom
ss a human being at the expense of
his wife.
The original purpose of marriage
does not lie in merely serving as a
tool to satisfy sexual needs. 1t
should be based on mutual UNDER
standing and help.
The American husband of the
Dagwood type always carefully ex-
tracts picture from his wallet and
shows it to you with the remark that
it is his wife and also, the most
beautiful girl in the world. The
Japanese husband, on the other
hand, would never say that he con-
siders his wife is beautiful, he in
stantly refutes it, saying, Don't be
absurd. My wife is as ugly as a
crow" He says this in the spirit of
the remark he usually makes when
he gives a present to someone. II
would like to give this to you, al
though it is an insignificant, trivial
thing"
Not as Gallant
I think that the Japanese husband
is hypocrite; he tries to show him.
self in as bad a light as possible.
Hence the remark, MY wife is no
good, where ansAmerican husband
would CALAMITY say, MY wife is
wonderful"
This should be rectified. The
harm it causes is greater than the
japanese husband realizes. 1t would
not harm them, or make them fall
lower in anyone's eyes if they should
do this.
Another thing which should be
noted about Japanese husbands is
their atrocious lack of attention and
interest in their wives when their
wives grow old. Japanese husbands
should follow the example of their
western brothers in this respect. In
the Western world, whenever wo-
man puts a cigarette in her mouth,
a man instantly whips out lighter
and lights her cigarette for her.
When she sits down, the man tries
to make her chair comfortable for
her. Whenever she wears something
new, the man compliments her on
her improved appearance. Such con-
siderate actions would not be possible
if the man were totally disinterested
in his wife. Such small attentions
would boost the morale of the jap
anese wife, and make the little wo-
man look 20 per cent younger and
more beautiful, am sure.
Different Emphasis
This difference in the patterns of
behavior in the western male and
the Japanese male can be partly
attributed to the law Of supply and
demand: the less the supply, the
greater the demand. Another cause
is the difference in both cultures.
Western civilization places emphasis
on the bedroom. Japanese civilization
emphasizes the family with stress
upon filial piety and love for ones
children. Expression of this kind of
love was encouraged, with the re-
suit that it became a matter of Gus
tom to be extremely reticent about
love for ones wife. The Japanese
male was made to play the part of
an unfeeling man. Now. he actually
feels a sort of absurd self satisfaction
in assuming this kind of a cynical
pose, and saying. my wife is an
insignificant creature"
However, this perverse kind of
love which the Japanese husband
bears for his wife can be said to be
deeper and refined 1t can be likened
to the Japanese haori (overcoaD,
which although severely plain on the
outside, has for its lining an extre-
mely beautiful fabric which can be
glimpsed only occasionally. Never
theless we cannot blame the jap
anese fair sex for yearning for
more concrete love which is more
apparent, and therefore more en-
joyable, when we consider that life
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