I definitely thought Ermo represented a reversal in gender roles. Ermo completely contradicts the portrayed subordinate image of women in Japanese culture: she works late into the the afternoon, only to come home and cook dinner, and arises early in the morning (when it is still dark) to make twisty noodles. Therefore, while she does the traditional homemaking duties, she also works diligently to support a family. Quite interesting! Possibly it is a result of their economic status: she must work because the Chief cannot. However, the blindman's wife does not have to work.
I also thought her priorities were completely ridiculous. It seemed to be a competition as to who could have the biggest TV. Even though building a larger house with her hard-earned money may have been more pragmatic, it is unlikely the neighbors would have really noticed much difference. To truly separate herself, the biggest TV placed them above others. It was something even the county head could not afford.
Lastly, the fact that she was forced to sell her blood to earn extra money was extremely disturbing. No wonder diseases spread rampantly; the facility certainly did not look too clean. Thankfully, we are fortunate enough to have organizations such as the Red Cross where people volunteer their blood and it is checked profusely to avoid any sort of infection.
Posted by collinsa at November 16, 2004 08:16 PM