In Sanshiro by Natsume Soseki and the Communist Manifesto written by Karl Marx and Fredrick Engels, both authors demonstrate a use of history. Soseki uses the story of Sanshiro to describe the struggles someone from a rural background would have to overcome in order adapt to the urban lifestyle of Tokyo. Marx uses the Communist Manifesto take a stand against classism and industrialization, arguing why classism was to be blamed for everything, while Soseki illustrates the conflicts which arise during industrialization. Despite Marx and Soseki’s differences they also have their share of similarities. The use of history in Sanshiro is very similar to that of the Communist Manifesto.
Sanshiro, a novel written by Natsume Soseki, is about a college…show more content… 12)
Both Soseki and Marx argue that industrialization offers good economic advances, but at the disadvantages of many members of society. They use history as both a means of arguing their case and a foreshadowing of the future.
Another area of common ground between the two works is the social class system. Marx argues that there has always been a division in classes, which dated back to the early times. One example was in Ancient Rome with society divided into “patricians, knights, plebeians, slaves” (p. 9). It resembles a class system that is also seen in Sanshiro. While aboard the train, Sanshiro notices that “the complexion of the local women [was] turning lighter and lighter”. The differences in skin color became an identifier of which region women would come from. The darker the skin, the more rural their village was. The closer and closer one got to urban Japan, the lighter the skin would become. Skin became an identifier of class, as well as beauty - the lighter the skin, the more beautiful the women. These women were often the bourgeoisies living in