The Moon on the Water Review

What comes to your mind when you read or heard the title, "The Moon on the Water"?

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It is a tiring day at Missouri. There's this boy that's been lying on his brown, rough and old fishing boat. He's exhausted for his everyday life and wandering at the stars. The night was calm and the only thing thay you will hear is the splashes of water on the bottom right side of his boat. The boy always dreamed of a life that is full of spakles just like the rich ones from the city. It was his everyday routine to think and fantasize the other side of his life if his family is  wealthy. 

The short story "The Moon of the Water" by Kawabata Yasunari, depicts the life of the main female character named Kyoto. She was married to her first husband who was ill and bed ridden, then the present time of the story states that she is now married to her second husband whom I think does not understand her burden upon losing her first partner.

Kawabata was so good in using objects and other things as symbolism of beauty, life, pain and death. Obviously throughout the story, the death of Kyoto's first husband gave her so much grief. It was devastating for her that his death gave so much impact on her thoughts. Kawabata used the mirror as the symbol of her and her husband's love, the mirror was used by two and had built a world of their own. 

Kyoto had doubts about herself, specifically her own beauty. But based on my own understanding, the part where the story tells that Kyoto and her husband was looking to the moon through the mirror every night tells something about how her husband let her see the beauty she has within herself. This is where the title made so much sense. Regarding to Japanese culture, the moon, snow and flowers are symbols of beauty and the water means reflection. The story deals about Kyoto doubting the reflection she sees. She was having a hard time getting to know who she really is after her first husband died. 

The ending, looking at their old house made her realize that maybe she could give herself another try. The baby inside her will bring her a new chance, it will bring her hope. One where she could write her own destiny. One where she would finally love herself completely.