Review of Related Studies

2. Characters as Seen by Another The author describes him through the eyes and opinions of another, conveys through his choice of words and phrases, such as unquiet eyes, dim smile, rare sound of her voice, unapproachable aspect, gazing at him stealthily 3. Speech The author gives an insight into the character of one of the persons in the book through what that person says. Whenever a person speaks, whenever he is in conversation with another, whenever he puts forward an option, he is giving some clue to his character. 4. Past Life The author gives a clue to events that have helped to shape a person’s character, by direct comment, through the person’s thoughts, through his conversation or through the medium of another person. 5. Conversation of Others The author can also give clues to a person’s character through the conversations of other people and the things they say about him. People do talk about other people and the things they say often give as a clue to the character of the person spoken about. 6. Reactions The author can also give a clue to a person’s character by letting us know that person reacts to various situations and events. 7. Direct Comment The author can describe or comment on a person’s character directly. 8. Thoughts The author gives direct knowledge of what a person is thinking about. In this respect he is able to do what we cannot do in real life. He can tell us what different people are thinking. 9. Mannerism The author describes a pers on’s mannerism, habits, or idiosyncrasies which tell something about his character.

C. Review of the Meiji era in Japan

According to Tadashi Fukutake in his book, The Japanese Social Structure translated by Ronald P. Dore, he gives explanation about the modernization of Japanese Society during Meiji era. He provides the reader with much information about the progress of Japanese society from an isolated and feudal society to modern capitalist society. The year 1868 becomes the starting point of modernization of Japan. After the fall of Tokugawa shogunate, Japan sought the restoration of imperial rule and dismantles the feudal system. The government then carried through the programs of modernization of many aspects like transport, communications, education, military, and also financial system. “The period has been one of leaping advance in productivity, accompanied by progress in transport and communications technology, which has expanded the social life spheres of individuals and produced a society with an ever more complex social division of labor.” Fukutake, 1989: 11-12 According to the statement above this period is the road of modernization in which all aspects of live in Japanese society grows into a modern society in which they are not bounded by social status and ideally create equal individuals. The division of labor also becomes even more complex because of the growth of industry at that time. Yayori Takano in his essay, Foreign Influence and the Transformation of Early Modern Japan provides important information on how the Japanese at that time studied the Western knowledge as their source of information and how it gives a great assistance in Japan’s development. Dutch influence on Japan extended far beyond trade. To the Japanese, the Dutch were sources of information from the outside world, and provided them with Western knowledge. Dutch studies were of great interest to Japanese scholars, and were superior to those of the Chinese in various fields. Despite its relative