The Ambiguity of the Artificial Daffodils : The Multivalent Ending of Takekurabe(<Special Issue>Gender Construction in Japanese Literature)

Abstract

The meaning of the artificial daffodils in the ending of Ichiyo Higuchi's Takekurabe can be interpreted in several ways. For instance, it implies: 1) Sinnyo's situation; 2) his affection towards Midori; 3) the relation between them; 4) Midori's inner life; 5) the implied narrator's message. Thus, although it is possible to read the story merely in terms of "romantic love," such reading bypasses the textual ambiguity.