When I was at the University I knew a law student named…
““When I was at the University I knew a law student named Yamada Uruu. Later he worked for the Osaka Municipal Office; he’s been dead for years. This man’s father was an old-time lawyer, or “advocate,” who in early Meiji defended the notorious murderess Takahashi Oden. It seems he often talked to his son about Oden’s beauty. Apparently he would corner him and go on and on about her, as if deeply moved. “You might call her alluring, or bewitching,” he would say. “I’ve never known such a fascinating woman, she’s a real vampire. When I saw her I thought I wouldn’t mind dying at the hands of a woman like that!” Since I have no particular reason to keep on living, sometimes I think I would be happier if a woman like Oden turned up to kill me. Rather than endure the pain of these half-dead arms and legs of mine, maybe I could get it over and at the same time see how it feels to be brutally murdered.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
The narrator romanticizes death by a captivating, dangerous woman, seeing murder as an escape from suffering and a way to experience intense emotion.
In simple terms: He wishes a beautiful murderer would end his life to escape pain.
Key Takeaway
Consider how fascination with danger can mask a desire for relief.
Themes
death
romanticism
despair
beauty
obsession
Mood
melancholic
desperate
reflective
Type
literary
philosophical
psychological
When to use this quote
- terminal illness
- chronic pain
- emotional turmoil
- fantasy of death
Key Concepts
nihilism
existentialism
psychology
Questions to Reflect On
- What draws you to dangerous allure?
- Can pain be transformed without death?
A Different Perspective
Such yearning may ignore the value of seeking help and healing.