OVERLOOKED ASPECTS OF "THE CHRYSANTHEMUM AND THE SWORD"

Three overlooked aspects of Ruth Benedict's (1946) study of Japanese culture are considered -- the meaning of suicide, her commentary on Japanese cinema, & her relationship with her Japanese American assistant, Robert Hashima. It is contended that contemporary Japanese suicidologists still accept Benedict's interpretation of suicide in Japan because she offered a novel cultural framework & because current suicidologists have not established additional theories of suicide. Despite the brevity of her commentary on Japanese film, several contemporary scholars have engaged Benedict's views. Noting that many Americans during WWII viewed Japanese Americans as repulsive & evil, Benedict's letter to Hashima on V-J Day illustrates her humane sentiment toward her assistant. J. W. Parker