Grotesque realism involves the analysis of literature or language that involves the body of humans. The late Tokugawa artists in the nineteenth century adopted grotesque realism which had become a widespread system of expression. Grotesque realism was equally adopted into the Meiji period hence resulting to an affirmative negation of the binary deconstruction (Hirano 165). The main aim of the use of grotesque realism was to express the unjust as well as abusive happenings in the society. It was also a way of maintaining leadership legacy after the passing on of influential persons.
Firstly, there was a sequence of apprehensions which were majorly conducted by the shogunate in the early 1980s. Due to the controversies that these apprehensions brought about, the Tokugawa artists and writers decided to express their discomfort through grotesque realism. This form of expression was able to bypass all limits and reach the highest levels of leaders throughout the society. Oze Hoan, on the other hand, experience trauma from the death of his master and decided to idolize him through grotesque realism. His main agenda was to preserve the legacy of his master having been a man of righteousness throughout his reign as a leader (Hirano 165).
Evidently, during the nineteenth century, grotesque had the potential to expose the various occurrences of disunity as well as contradictions in the society. Artists and writers used it to unsettle the unrealistic rules that had been set earlier responsible for inclusions and exclusions that domineered during this period. This acted troublesome to the authorities, who in the end reacted by acting towards change. Finally, grotesque acted as a safe manner of critique. It did not only apply to the deficiencies, but also to the duplicates and a representation of totality. Grotesque is a representation of unsustainability in the samurai’s stature (Hirano 128).
Works Cited
Hirano, Katsuya. The Politics of Dialogic Imagination: Power and Popular Culture in Modern Early Japan. London: The University of Chicago Press, Ltd., 2014.