Pathway to Japanese Literature
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| Original Title | 寺坂吉右衛門の逃亡 |
|---|---|
| Author | 直木 三十五 |
| Genre | Modern Short Fiction |
| Author Type | Male Author |
| Summary | Amidst a tense vendetta against a corrupt lord, Terasaka Yoshioemon, a low-ranking servant, seethes with humiliation as his samurai comrades exclude him from their final preparations. Denied equal recognition and funds, his simmering resentment erupts into defiance: he abandons the raid, fleeing into the night as his peers storm their target’s mansion. Yet whispers of their triumphant revenge—and his unexpected inclusion among the celebrated "forty-seven loyal retainers"—haunt him. Torn between shame and self-preservation, Terasaka navigates a world buzzing with heroic tales, grappling with the chasm between his cowardice and the legend crafting him as a martyr. As authorities close in, he spins lies to survive, only to confront a bitter irony: history may immortalize him as a hero, but guilt and doubt shadow every step. Will redemption lie in truth or the enduring myth? |
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