Today I read a short story
by Yukio Mishima called “Swaddling Clothes.” Basically, the story is about a
woman named Toshiko who, along with her husband, has seen their nurse give
birth to a child while she was supposed to watch after their son. This newborn
child is then wrapped in newspaper by a doctor instead of swaddling clothes, presumably
under contempt. Toshiko then worries deeply about this child’s future, wonder
how the poor delivery of the baby will affect the rest of his life.
This story not only
reflects a typical mother’s fears of how a child’s future will turn out (will
he have a successful life or not?), but it also explains how “corrupt” modern
Japan has become after American occupation. Traditional Japanese childbirth is
portrayed as something scorned upon by modern society, and how such a change in
culture is inevitable, despite the full knowledge of the change occurring.
