The Irony and Passion in Osen’s Life

Osen’s life was full of irony and passion from the beginning to the end of her story. First, she was given as a servant because her parents couldn’t pay for their taxes. Then, because of the tricks of an old woman, Osen fell in love with love and full of passion gave herself to a man who she barely knew. When she went “Upstairs she found her lover, and together they drank the cup of betrothal, and pledging themselves to each other forever” (Saikaku 599). It is also ironic the hypocrisy that the old lady displayed when Kyushichi wanted to join the journey, making him force himself to go along and when the cooper showed up, the old woman’s reaction was the complete opposite, “’You look as if you were going to Ise too,’ the old Nanny addressed him. ‘But why go alone? You seem to be an agreeable fellow and we’d like to have you spend the night with us somewhere.”’ (Saikaku 596). When Kyushichi uneasy about the situation and what this means for his secret desires shows disagreement with Old Nanny about the cooper coming along, this is her response: “God watches over everything. And with a stout fellow like you along, what can possibly happen?”(Saikaku 598). And once she played the God card, there wasn’t much to support Kyushichi ‘s arguments.
It’s also very ironic that the people who were in charge of this story and made the biggest impact were the women in it (Old Nanny and Chozaemon’s wife)—And because of these women, Olsen falls in love, cheats on her husband and even commits suicide.