Asahi Shimbun Morning Edition, November 27, 1999
After the war, a patient who had become a prostitute for the occupying forces and suffered severe emotional distress would proudly say, "My husband is MacArthur." Of course, this was not true. Perhaps the sense of "wound" in her life was so strong that she could not bear for her partner to be just an anonymous American soldier.
No matter what society says, sometimes one must convince oneself in order to keep on living.
Prostitution is often called the oldest trade and is also a symbol of male-dominated society. The view that selling one’s body for money is "degrading" has not changed. Even though the term "compensated dating" once became a popular phrase and seemed to gain some level of acceptance, the deeper undercurrents of perception remain unchanged.
The complex feelings of those involved are well expressed in the classic phrase: "I may sell my body, but not my heart." Stories set in brothels often revolve around this idea. The "degrading work" is portrayed as a means to an end—either to support a poor family or as an unavoidable sacrifice.
In the 1996 film Moll Flanders, the protagonist, a former prostitute, conveys the circumstances of her "inescapable life" to her estranged daughter through her diary. The original novel was written by Daniel Defoe, the author of Robinson Crusoe.
Moll, raised in an orphanage and taken in by the madam of a high-class brothel, is asked to model for a young medical student aspiring to study anatomy. Touched by the young man’s sincerity, they begin living together. However, he dies of smallpox while she is pregnant.
After giving birth, Moll is discovered by the madam and separated from her daughter. She is sent to the New World, but the ship wrecks along the way. There, she assumes the identity of the deceased madam and finds success. Nine years later, she reunites with her daughter. The film stars Robin Wright, with Morgan Freeman giving a compelling supporting performance.
Erasing the past—films can fulfill such impossible dreams. Life is full of ups and downs, and "so much has happened" along the way.
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