Chizuko Sakata as a Mother
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.
CHIZUKO. I trusted you, I trusted you. KAORU. I’m sorry. I didn’t betray that trust. Tonight I… I had too much
to drink. I know that’s no excuse … CHIZUKO. Get out. Get out
KAORU. I have no money.
CHIZUKO. I’ll give you money
she starts toward the house dragging Aki with her
Yamauchi, 1996: 443-444 Chizuko being a persistent and protective mother is not only out of a great
disappointment with Kaoru but also a responsibility as a mother to protect her daughter, Aki, from anybody who tries to mess up with her. The quarrels between
Chizuko and Aki indicate that, in fact, Chizuko mostly shows her concern for her daughter over her sons. That is why when it comes to harass her daughter and
disrupt her family, Chizuko persists not to listen to any excuses, she will do anything to keep the family peaceful.
Chizuko spends most of her time to work hard for her family. It seems that throughout the play she is depicted as a work-oriented woman. Even so, a
rigorous life does not make her fail to play the role of a good mother, she is a caring and mother, a care-taker who always pays attention and makes sure her
children will grow up well. In the act two scene one, Chizuko expresses her worry about Aki going home alone,
CHIZUKO. What’s matter with you, Ichiro? I told you to walk together. You’re the oldest and...
TOMU. She ran away from us, Ma. ICHIRO. God, she’s a big girl now. I can’t watch her all the time.
CHIZUKO. I want you to walk together. I told you that. Anything can happen.
ICHIRO. Like what? CHIZUKO. Anything. Snakes, scorpions ..
Yamauchi, 1996: 430
Chizuko scolds Ichiro for letting Aki go home alone, she insists that they have to walk together and protect each other in their way home. However, Ichiro
thinks that Aki is not a little girl who needs protection from her oldest brother since she is able to keep herself safe. Chizuko, of course, as a mother cannot take
it. Her maternal instincts make her worry even over a little and insignificant thing. CHIZUKO. I hear myself: “Don’t do this; don’t do that. Wear your
sweater; study hard ...” I try to say other things: “How smart you are; how pretty you look ...” but my mouth won’t let me. I keep thinking, life is
hard. I shouldn’t let them think it would be easy. KAORU. That’s true.
CHIZUKO. Well, they’re used to me like I am. If I change now, they’d think I went crazy.
KAORU. The important thing is, you’re here. It’s no good without a mother, Chizuko-san. I know.
Yamauchi, 1996 : 428
From the dialogue above, it can be learned that the way Chizuko communicates her concern for her children is slightly different. She does not
speak like a mother who is described always speaks softly and delicately to her children to convey her love. She prefers to say it in a short and flat way because it
is already Chizu ko’s intention to teach her children to be a life fighter. She refuses
to show her love too much because she does not want to give an impression that she spoils her children.
Furthermore, Yamauchi also presents the Japanese mother uses the guilt feeling and threat of abandonment as a social control over her children. It is when
Chizuko finds Kaoru and Aki are kissing that upsets her a lot. She sends Kaoru away that night but Aki insists to go with him.
CHIZUKO.
pulling Aki away
You know what you are asking for? From town to town ... no roots ... no home ... nothing. Maybe one day, he’ll get
tired of you ... throw you out ... leave you in some dirty hotel for another fool woman. Think, Aki. And you’ll come crawling home ...
AKI. I’ll never come home I’ll never come back to you You’re not a mother. You’re a witch
CHIZUKO. Witch? Who you calling witch? Someone who sacrificed a life for you?
AKI. You didn’t sacrifice for me. Yamauchi, 1996: 444
CHIZUKO.
in a towering rage Annngh
Go then. Go Go You’ll find
out. And when things get rough, remember tonight AKI. I’ll never forget.
CHIZUKO. You think you know all the answers. You think everything’s so simple. You haven’t even tasted pain yet. You’ll find out.
Yamauchi, 1996 : 445 Chizuko tries to tell Aki that she already sacrificed everything for Aki. By
acting out this way, a mother wants to encourage the guilt feeling of her children, a child should not mistreat her mother who gives birth to her. Chizuko as a
traditional mother, she claims how she has been suffering for all this time for her children’s sake with hopes of Aki will feel guilty and follow what her mother
wants her to do. Through Chizuko, we can also perceive how the practice of the threat of abandonment is performed. She gives Aki images what may happen if
she leaves home with Kaoru. Chizuko attempts to tell Aki how it feels to be abandoned and not to be cared for. Chizuko convinces her that there will be
nobody who loves and cares for her like her mother.