Lighthouse Flashcards
The lighthouse-keeper’s wife trains the girls of the island in etiquette, including Hatsue. They are both interested in preserving the future - the youths of the island.
They took a deep interest in the girls’ futures (p.46)
The lighthouse-keeper and his wife are a class apart, because of the mistress’s background as a schoolteacher, and because of their isolation from the village. However, they use this to influence lives, and contribute to Shinji’s and Hatsue’s happiness.
Unlike conditions in the squalid houses of fishermen, here… was always bright and clean. (p.47)
The respect for the lovers and their privacy contrasts with Yasuo’s invasion of the privacy of others with his spreading of gossip and sexual assault of Hatsue. Communities and love are built on respect and care, not jealousy, selfishness and lust.
Tactfully, the lighthouse-keeper went back down the spiral staircase, leaving the two of them alone. (p.181)
