Choosing the Path: Research Notes
Format: The notes have been divided by chapter and then numbered. For example: Chapter 1-1 would mean the first note pertaining to Chapter One. I don’t think you’ll encounter any major spoilers by reading ahead, but you can also restrict yourself to just reading the notes for the chapter you just finished. It’s up to you. I would have included these after each respective chapter except some of them are very LONG with visual aids. So. I felt they deserved their own page. (Have I made a rhyme??) (^__~)
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Chapter 2-1. Victorian Calling Cards :: There is no evidence suggesting that calling cards were used during the Victorian Era as I describe them. (Actually, there’s quite a lot of data to the contrary.) There did exist Victorian Era business cards, but in order to differentiate between modern and Victorian times, I’ve chosen to use the name “calling card” just to keep things in the proper “setting”. I didn’t want to use the phrase “business card” and then have readers imagining a modern business card! Business cards were quite different in Alice’s time - larger, for one thing. And, anyway, I just like the name “calling card” better than “business card”... it’s cool, m’kay? (^__~)b
Chapter 2-2. I don’t think... :: In Chapter 7 of Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, Alice begins a comment with “I don’t think...” and the Hatter takes it quite literally and reprimands her:
"I don't think--"
"Then you shouldn't talk," said the Hatter.
In the first chapter of this story, Alice has a vague recollection of this. And, in the second chapter, we have Tarrant reprimanding her when she states, “I don’t know.” Obviously, she ought to quantify exactly what it is she doesn’t know because one can’t not know everything. But how can you state what you don’t know? If you could state it, it would imply that you knew it, yes? Dear me, this Underlandian logic kills my brain.
Chapter 5-1. Asian Maritime Trade Routes :: I did just a tiny bit of research on Asian maritime sea routes. Some of the ports that I managed to (I think) identify as ones on British trade routes were: Agra, Lagos, Bombay, Calcutta, Ragoon, and Guangzhou (a.k.a. Hong Kong). I’m sure there must have been more but I wasn’t very lucky with my Googling.
Chapter 5-2. Lagos, Nigeria :: Lagos was a major center for the African slave trade. I so badly wanted to address this issue, do it as much justice as I could and not sweep it under the proverbial rug... and yet that’s precisely what I did. I wish I could have found a way to make it work with the rest of the story, however, the way I see Alice and Tarrant, they would have reacted quite strongly to that (unlike many other people of that time and in the trading business) and it would have destroyed the storyline. Personally, I think Disney must be ignoring this as well: at the end of the film, Alice sets out for (presumably) Hong Kong. This would not be a direct route. The ship would have to stop and take on fresh water and perishables and other supplies at least so Alice would have been a witness to the slave trade. A whole novel could be written about Alice encountering the slave trade and trying to do something about it, perhaps with Tarrant’s help. However, that story is not this story.
Chapter 5-3. Diogenes :: Digenes of Sinope was a contemporary of Plato only in that they lived at roughly the same time and got into a slew of heated, public arguments with each other. (I greatly enjoy imagining that, actually. I’ve read far too many works by Plato to take him seriously anymore.) Diogenes despised people who were all talk and no action when it came to Virtue and the pursuit of a virtuous life. He renounced all worldly goods, claiming that material things could never lead to true happiness. His views formed the basis for Cynicism (which is a recognized school of thought in Ancient Greek Philosophy). A truly happy person rejects money, fame, power, and reputation. I am not sure if reading material for young Victorian ladies truly quoted his principles, but it sounds like something that might be preached to women of the time, doesn’t it? At least, in so far as women should never demand any sort of recognition or power or independence for themselves. This was not Diogenes’ message, but I think it’s quite easy to take that meaning from it when it’s presented out-of-context. Diogenes endorsed The Simple Life in which people lose all the Baggage that they stress themselves out over. For Diogenes, The Simple Life was living on the streets (which he did, purportedly in a tub) endeavoring to lead by example: people don’t need the material and immaterial products of society to live in society and enjoy life to its fullest.
Chapter 5-4. British Exports :: The main British exports of the time were: cotton, iron, steel, and coal. (Just FYI.) Source: Victorian Britain: Industrial Might
Chapter 5-5. England-Japan Voyage Duration :: Thanks to my husband’s mad research skills, he found out that a voyage from Japan to England (or at least on one occasion) took around 3 months outbound from Japan and about 2 months outbound from England. I’d give the source, but it’s in Japanese. Sorry.
Chapter 6-1. Mr. Mutsu :: Mutsu Yonosuke (but he later changed his name to Mutsu Munemitsu) is an actual historical figure from Japan. In 1867, he was in Nagasaki working with one of Japan’s first Japan-based and Japanese-run trading companies (founded by Sakamoto Ryoma who was all for the betterment and strengthening of Japan by embracing foreign technology while keeping the heart of Japan “pure”). During this time, many European powers were hoping to colonize Japan, something the Japanese most assuredly and understandably did not want.
In 1884, nearly twenty years after Alice and Tarrant visit Japan and following the Meiji Restoration (a time when the government of old was reformed and the samurai were no longer considered vassals or in the service of or under the protection of feudal lords - in fact the whole feudal system was abolished completely), Mutsu traveled on diplomatic missions to Europe in order to renegotiate several trade agreements. The new government had (stupidly) agreed that any foreigner who killed a Japanese person on Japanese soil was immune from Japanese prosecution. This issue, among others like the unprofitable tax-free system that had been implemented by the inexperienced new government, became the focus of Mutsu’s work in his later life. My hubby - an enthusiast of this era and Japanese himself - tells me it was very likely Mutsu (who, in this story, is 23 years old) could speak English at this point in time.
Chapter 6-2. Festival :: Visual references for a typical Japanese summer festival:
To give you a basic idea of what a mikoshi looks like and the sort of costumes the bearers would wear (and I think you can imagine why Alice would be shocked by the outfits... traditionally, the shorts were considerably shorter than shown here):
The mikoshi in this picture is not black lacquer and gold... every mikoshi is different. Google it. You'll see.
This is a street taiko performance at night, to give you an idea of the atmosphere. The drums are larger than I imagine are used in the story, just FYI:
And, by the way, yes: just as Alice thinks, the beating of drums was originally used to send a message to God. I’m not fully versed on the significance of Japanese festival traditions, but I think I heard that once upon a time. If you would like to hear Japanese taiko music, do a search (on the ’Net or YouTube) for a group called Kodo. They’re uber famous in taiko circles. Kodo Tour Promotion Video & Irodori by Kodo And for some serious GurlPower Taiko: Hono o Daiko (or: Hono-o-daiko) A short clip or a longer performance. d(^__~)b = two thumbs up!
Various masks (including scary ones) that are worn in traditional Japanese theater and by dancers during some festivals (just because there’s a festival somewhere in Japan, that doesn’t mean they’d use any of these particular masks... but I have seen some of them):
Chapter 6-3. Menswear of 1867 Japan :: Visual reference for the typical garb of a samurai at this period in time:
Yes, he is wearing pants. They are pleated and OMG wide in the legs but they are pants. I have a pair of my own for Japanese Archery (a.k.a. kyudo).
Chapter 6-4. Japanese Inn (ryokan) :: The exterior of a typical Japanese inn, or ryokan, of the time period:
This is actually a historically well-known inn in Kyoto called Teradaya which has been in business since the mid 1800s... at least. Maybe (likely) much longer. I imagine the one Alice and Tarrant stay at in Nagasaki is very similar. Perhaps a bit longer, actually.
And we go up the crazy-narrow stairs:
The room on the left is way nicer than Alice’s room. In the fic, her room is NOT a suite like this one. She has one room. That’s it. No balcony and just a tiny window on one wall (without glass, only a heavy wooden covering that can be propped open). The room on the right is much closer to what I imagined in the story (but I wanted to show you the pretty, painted sliding doors in the left-hand photo).
Chapter 6-5. Futons & Tatami :: The traditional Japanese bed is not called a pallet as Alice dubs it. It is called a futon. And I love mine. I also love my tatami floor. They do smell really nice... as long as you take proper care of them, that is! (I’ve heard stories about foreigners not moving or airing their futons for years and then finding all kinds of mold growing underneath on the tatami. Like, ew.)
(Please note: this is not my actual futon.) (^__~)
Chapter 6-6. Lounge wear :: This is what people generally change into before going to bed at an inn or hot spring resort. They also tromp around in the halls between the bathroom, hot tub, and rooms in this. Some people wear it to dinner in the communal dining room, but no sandals (or, geta), of course:
Chapter 6-7. Civil Unrest in 1867 Japan :: At this point in Japanese history, things were very tumultuous. Not only were states fighting amongst each other within Japan (due to old feuds and such) but political groups fought against each other over the issue of whether or not to open the country to foreign trade. Also, groups fought over whether or not to support the emperor or the shogun (who was the steward of Japan and actually ran the country until 1868 when he relinquished power to the emperor and the fledgling democratic government).
Fights could and did break out at any and all times for all sorts of reasons. (Coming across foreigners near their territory without their expressed permission certainly would have been adequate reason to get all hot and bothered.)
On the topic of skirmishes and such: one of the shogun’s Kyoto-based “police forces” (called the Shin Sengumi) were particularly and infamously heavy-handed when apprehending (or assassinating) suspects. Although Alice and Tarrant would not have encountered this particular group in Nagasaki, it just goes to show how much of a powder keg Japan was at the time.
Also, many samurai feared that this new government would abolish the feudal system and they would lose their status and privilege. Many were concerned that there would be no place for them in this “new Japan” and fought and struggled with each other to secure a stable position for themselves in this volatile political climate.
Chapter 6-8. Farm & Meat Animals :: People in Japan at this time did not have beasts of burden. No horses, no cows, no oxen. Farming and the transport of goods were done via back-breaking human labor. Of course, this also means that people in Japan did not have meat animals, either. The rich occasionally ate poultry. The main source of meat was (and still is) fish... and the poor probably couldn’t afford to eat it all that often... unless they caught the fish themselves in a river or lake.
Chapter 7-1. Familiar Line? :: “The best plans are the ones that aren’t made at all” might sound familiar: it was originally part of an OPK Book 1 outtake that I shared on my Live Journal a while back. I’m glad it found a new home in this story because I am crazy in love with that line. (^__~)
Chapter 7-2. Japanese Phrases
(a) Kore, tsumaranai mono desu ga, douzo... means “Please take this small token of my appreciation” or, more literally, “This is an inconsequential thing, but please take it.” It’s used when giving gifts with humility.
(b) Shiroi hada... means “White skin...”
(c) Kuroi! means “Dark” or “Black” in color. The two are not really differentiated between when it comes to having a Serious Suntan or naturally dark skin.
(d) Mite kudasai. Kore. Kore. means “(Please) look. Here. Like this.”
(e) Nigero! (pronounced knee - geh [as in “get”] - roh) means “Get out of here!” Or, more literally, “Escape!”
Chapter 7-3. Farm Houses :: This is a website featuring lots of very lovely images of a historical mountain village in Japan. I’ve been here and it’s really like going back in time: Gokayama, Japan
Also, this is the interior of a very wealthy farmer’s house. This is a picture of tatami with an irori (or firepit-style hearth) set into it. (As you can imagine, fire was a serious risk in houses like these.) Most families did not have furniture and many slept on woven straw pallets. Everyone. Together. At the same time. (How did these people manage to have kids?!?!)
Chapter 8-1. Samurai Pride:
In Japanese culture, during this time especially, it would have been inexcusable for one samurai to back down from a disagreement with another. In earlier times (even ten years earlier), a lower ranking samurai would have differed to his superior but during the political upheaval of the Meiji Restoration, submissive behavior would have been unlikely.
Mutsu Yonosuke would have been an ideal mediator in the situation that occurs in Chapter 7. He was the son of a high-ranking samurai but he had left home and did not owe his allegiance to any of the feudal lords. (He was a ronin, or an independent samurai. Many young men chose this lifestyle, actually. And they could get away with it due to their class privilege.) Mutsu very likely would have acted as a third and unbiased party in this situation (explaining that the foreigners were with him and are not causing trouble). Disagreements were often handled this way with some volunteer coming between two disagreeing members of the aristocracy.
(And, keep in mind that just because a man is a samurai, that does not mean he is wealthy. At various times in feudal Japan (when the government needed to raise money), people who could afford it were permitted to buy their title and samurai status. A samurai’s influence and affluence was (generally) measured by the amount of rice produced on his family’s lands. Extremely wealthy samurai reported harvests in the thousands of koku or bushels annually. The poorest lived in mud-and-thatch huts and reported between 5 and a dozen koku per year.)
Despite the enormous economic and hierarchical differences that could exist between different samurai families, the men all had at least one sword (from the age of 15 onward) and they had pride.
Saving face was extremely important and many men of the time were pressured into performing seppuku (a ritual suicide in which one disembowels oneself in front of an audience which consists of the injured or aggrieved party and witnesses) after which whatever transgression the samurai had committed is forgiven and no shame comes to his family. (If the samurai was sentenced to death and either could not bring himself to commit seppuku or his position among the samurai class was too low to warrant an “honorable” death, he would be beheaded. Beheading brought unbearable shame to the samurai’s surviving family members.) No one commits seppuku in my story; I'm including this to give you an idea of the value that was placed on pride in Japan at this time.
Epilogue-1. Kagoshima :: This comes across as a honeymoon getaway, I know, but it really wasn’t. Actually, the previous year, Sakamoto Ryoma (the samurai who started Japan’s first Japanese-run trading company, see the note labeled Chapter 6-1) and his wife went to Kagoshima just after their wedding because Ryoma was injured right around that time in a sword fight and needed a place to rest and recuperate. His trading company (with which Mutsu Yonosuke was closely associated) was supported by the government of Kagoshima. Alice and Tarrant could have gone there with Mutsu’s endorsement. This part of Japan was very self-contained at the time and, actually, it was closed to most other Japanese people! I can’t even confirm if a posh hot spring resort with private cottages could have actually existed there. Not even my husband can check because there aren’t even records in Japanese about this sort of thing. So, I waved my handy Artistic License and voila! (^__~)
Epilogue-2. Sunset in a Cup :: The following prompt makes a brief appearance in the second “honeymoon” scene. Inspired it, actually. Week Two: Big Bang Writing Prompt