# VII Kōchiyama Sōshun explained — Short Fiction

> Chapter companion for Short Fiction by Akutagawa Ryūnosuke.

## What happens

Kōchiyama Sōshun, driven by pride and avarice, watches as other attendants vie for silver pipes from Narihiro. He refuses to join them, but when he spots Narihiro with a pipe he believes is pure gold, he schemes to get it. He tricks Ryōtetsu into believing it is brass, then successfully wheedles the pipe from Narihiro. However, he later throws the pipe at Ryōtetsu, revealing it is indeed brass, and Ryōtetsu stamps on it in disgust.

## Themes in this chapter

### Social Hypocrisy

Sōshun's outward disdain for the other attendants' greed masks his own covetousness, and he manipulates Ryōtetsu to achieve his goal.

### Self-Identity and Vanity

Sōshun's pride prevents him from openly seeking the pipe, yet his vanity drives him to scheme for it, while Ryōtetsu's own vanity is wounded by the deception.

## Character check-ins

### Kōchiyama Sōshun

Sōshun's pride and avarice conflict as he schemes to obtain Narihiro's pipe, ultimately tricking Ryōtetsu and securing the pipe for himself.

### Ryōtetsu

Ryōtetsu is deceived by Sōshun's claims about the pipe's material and is later humiliated when Sōshun throws the brass pipe at him.

### Maeda Narihiro

Narihiro is the lord whose pipe becomes the object of desire and deception among his attendants.

## Key lines

> Troubled by the conflict between his pride and his avarice, he kept his eye on Narihiro’s pipe constantly, pretending indifference, the while he was saying to himself, “Wait and see. I’ll soon put their noses out of joint.”

Sōshun, torn between his dignity and his desire for the pipe, watched it secretly while pretending not to care, vowing to outdo the other attendants.

_This highlights Sōshun's internal conflict and his scheming nature._

> “You’d better show some moderation in your greed. When, even with silver pipes, he’s importuned so much, why would he want to carry a pure gold pipe again?”

Ryōtetsu warns Sōshun that his greed is excessive, questioning why Narihiro would risk carrying a gold pipe after being pestered for silver ones.

_This exchange reveals the attendants' perception of Narihiro's behavior and their own avarice._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_59_se/chapters/vii
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_59_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_59_se/chapters