This paper examines how Ryūnosuke Akutagawa's short story "Rashōmon" reiterates the conflict between moral values and survival instincts in lethal situations. Set in a socially decaying Kyoto, the story centres on a destitute former samurai servant who has to decide whether to preserve his moral integrity at the cost of survival, a dilemma intensified by his encounter with an old woman who rationalises her own immoral acts as necessary for survival. This paper effectively illustrates how Akutagawa deconstructs social norms and offers insight into the fragility of moral values when survival takes precedence over ethics.
The study analyses the narrative structure, characterisation, and ethical choices presented in the short story. Both characters provide explanations for their immoral actions. In conversations between the servant and an elderly woman, the latter admits: “making wigs out of the hair of the dead may seem a great evil…If she hadn’t [cheated others to survive], she would have starved to death…There was no other choice” (Rashōmon, pg.42, line 20). Faced with her logic, the servant concedes: “Then it’s right if I rob you. I’d starve if I didn’t.” (Rashōmon, Page no. 43). This conversation and set of dialogues show that absolute poverty can hinder moral judgements. The analysis shows that in conclusion “Rashōmon” offers a blunt insight on human nature: when society fails and hunger takes over, individuals abandon their ethical norms, thereby offering a stark insight into human behaviour when survival outweighs ethical considerations.
Publication Date: 2026-02-16