2022 GCE OL Past Paper Question – Twilight of a Crane.

Twilight of a Crane' represents a woman as a committed wife.

Discuss with reference to the play.

Tsu, wife of Yohyo –

a. Committed – Sacrificial – She weaves the heavenly cloth,
Senba-Ori, for her husband’s happiness despite the pain.
“When I first wove the cloth with my feathers, you were as
pleased as a child. Then, in spite of the pain, I wove them again
and again.”
b. Committed – Sacrificial and submissive – Tsu agrees to
weave the cloth when Yohyo forces her – Tsu utters this while
Yohyo is asleep.
But, now, there is no other means left to keep you in my arms
than-weaving another piece of that cloth and having you make
money… Other wise, you’ll not stay with me any more, will you?

c. Tsu was satisfied while living a minimalist life with her

husband
- I’d like to live with you in this small house peacefully and
quietly without being troubled by any one.
- I wished I might have lived with you forever [hyperbole], setting
up our world in the middle of this field, playing with children and
working on the farm.

d. Tus’s possessiveness and her desperation to possess

Yohyo.

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please, come back with the money gained! Please come back
to me! You must come back! Please, swear to me to come
back, my darling!

2022 GCE OL Past Paper Question – Twilight of a Crane.

Twilight of a Crane' represents a woman as a committed wife.
Discuss with reference to the play.

‘Twilight of a Crane,’ by Yu Zuwa Junji Kinoshita, is a tragedy

under (MJDT) Modern Japanese Dramatic Tradition. Written in
1948, the drama has been made available for a broad English-
speaking audience to the credit of Taskeshi Kurahashi’s
translation. Inspired by Japanese folk-lore, the drama is set in
Rural Japan and revolves around the female protagonist, Tsu,
who is the wife of the peasant farmer, Yohyo. Unbeknownst to
Yohyo, Tsu is a bewitched ghost of a hen crane who
shapeshifts between the form of a crane and a woman. Yohyo
had saved Tus from an arrow stuck in her back while she was
in crane form, and Tsu returned as a woman to become his wife
out of gratitude.
Tsu also weaves the heavenly cloth, Senba-Ori, to please her
husband, and the cloth is a product of a thousand feathers
plucked from a live hen crane; Tsu continues to weave the cloth
at Yohyo’s request, despite the pain and loss of weight that are
side effects of the production. Unfortunately, Yohyo’s
profitability attracts unwanted attention, and the element of
conflict is introduced with the appearance of the antagonist
duo, Sodo and Unzu. They corrupt Yohyo into becoming
avaricious, and they manipulate him into forcing Tsu to produce
more of the Senba-Ori; Yohyo is severely corrupted that he even

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neglects the repercussions of his actions which regrettably
leads to Tsu abandoning him.
Nevertheless, judging by her action, Tsu appears to be a
committed wife: Tsu is selfless, and Yohyo’s happiness is her
main priority. As mentioned previous she weaves the heavenly
cloth despite the suffering that she is subjected to:
“When I first wove the cloth with my feathers, you were as
pleased as a child. Then, in spite of the pain, I wove them again
and again.”
The simile, ‘pleased as a child,’ visualizes Tsu’s determination
to gratify Yohyo, and her sacrificial nature confirms that she is
a committed wife. Evidently, Tsu’s devotion is stronger than
sheer pain that she endures.
Not only is Tsu caring, but she is also a submissive wife, who is
often obedient to her husband; Tsu instinctively agrees to wave
more of the cloth when Yohyo threaten to leave her:
But, now, there is no other means left to keep you in my arms
than-weaving another piece of that cloth and having you make
money… Other wise, you’ll not stay with me any more, will you?
Here, Tus desperately implores for Yohyo’s affection. Sadly, her
pleas go unheard because she is merely soliloquizing (talking
to herself) while Yohyo is asleep. This soliloquy is a testament
(proof) of Tsu’s commitment. Furthermore, her attitude during
this helpless situation confirm that she is a committed wife.
Additionally, Tsu discloses her minimalistic attitudes in an
earlier soliloquy:
I’d like to live with you in this small house peacefully and quietly
without being troubled by any one.
Tsu outlines her minimalistic desires via the wording, ‘small
house.’ Her innocent aspiration is to live peacefully and quietly

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amongst a serene environment. Thus, Yohyo can effortlessly
satiate Tsu’s happiness, and this makes Tsu a committed Wife.
Finally, Tsu is possessive of Yohyo, and she yearns for his
attention; this can also be confirmed by Tsu’s soliloquy:
please, come back with the money gained! Please come back
to me! You must come back! Please, swear to me to come
back, my darling!
The repetition of the wording, ‘please,’ and ‘come back,’
emphasizes Tsu’s urgence and desperateness. Hence, Tsu is
possessive of Yohyo, and she is afraid of losing him; this is
another reason to consider Tsu a committed wife.
Inclusively, Kinoshita’s ‘Twilight of a Crane,’ is masterful
recreation of Japanese folklore that follows the dynamic
character arch of a committed wife named Tsu: Tsu is
sacrificial, submissive, possessive, minimalistic, and content
with her husband.