AKI. Yes, you are You’re trying to control everything. It’s a free country. If we want to talk, what’s wrong with that?
Yamauchi, 1996:437 CHIZUKO. I mean other people How do you think it looks: you all the
time in a man’s room? AKI. I don’t care how it looks.
CHIZUKO.
lowering her voice
I’m not saying you’re doing anything wrong. I’m saying that ....
AKI. You’re saying you don’t like it. No one else cares. You’re saying ... CHIZUKO. Aki-
chan It’s not like that. You don’t understand. Kaoru-san is a grown man.
Yamauchi, 1996:438 Aki is a second generation of Japanese immigrant or
Nisei
. Even though she was born and raised in a traditional
Issei
family, she ploddingly leaves her cultural heritage as a Japanese and start adapting the western culture. Chizuko
who is an
Issei
, she emphasizes the Eastern culture within her family that a girl should not visit a man’s room until late at night because people will talk this over
as if they have done something in that room. However, Aki insists there is nothing wrong with that, to visit and talk with a man in a shed, she argues that it is alright,
it is not important what people will say and how they will look. Meanwhile, from the dialogue, Chizuko assumes that what people will say about them does matter
to their life, therefore, as a Japanese people, they should always maintain a good image to prevent other people from spreading a bad talk.
3. Chizuko Sakata as a Mother
The absence of father figure who is in charge of protection in the house makes Chizuko have to take over that role as well. It can be seen when she
decides to extrude Kaoru for harassing her daughter, Aki. Chizuko finds them kissing in the shed and she definitely cannot take it.
KAORU.Chizuko- san, please let me explain. Please…
CHIZUKO.“Please-please-please.” Don’t beg now Pack your things and get out
she pulls shirts and things off the pegs and throws them on bed
Yamauchi, 1996: 442 CHIZUKO. You thought you could fool me. You... you violated my trust.
You violated my daughter KAORU. Vio...? I did nothing. Believe me, I did nothing.
AKI. It’s not his fault CHIZUKO. I’ll fix you. I’ll get the police
KAORU. Be reasonable. Let’s talk this over. CHIZUKO. I said out Tonight. Now
she pulls Aki downstage
Yamauchi, 1996: 443 Chizuko refuses to listens to Kaoru’s excuses, she insists on sending him away. In
this play, Kaoru’s presence brings disturbance to Chizuko’s family. In
The Music Lesson,
Chizuko seems to be interested in Kaoru. Since Aki has fallen for him, she and her mother are often engaged in a quarelling as Chizuko does not like if
Aki sees Kaoru until late at night. The restrained atmosphere of politeness to which the family is accustomed
then suddenly fades away as Kaoru’s coming, Aki seems no longer to respect Chizuko because she starts arguing what Chizuko tries
to tell her. Chizuko is disappointed with Kaoru, that night she loses all her respect toward him. Chizuko used to think that Kaoru will bring some sort of changes and
reliefs to her family but it does not turn out as she expected. KAORU. Believe me. I mean no harm…
CHIZUKO. What did you do to
me
? KAORU: I’ve made no pretenses. From the beginning, I told you….
Chizuko stops him before he says the terrible words that would prove how foolish she had been to dream.
