Many authors use symbolism to convey messages about society as a whole. One particular symbol that is transcultural and appears in much literature is that of the blade. The blade in many cases embodies masculinity, honor and courage. In the two stories “In a Woods” and Chronicle of a Death Foretold the authors use the motif of the blade to convey similar messages about the societies in which they are set. Both authors Akutagawa and Marquez use the motif to provide insight into the view of honor and masculinity in the societies of Japan and Latin American countries, respectively. Akutagawa is famous for his use of symbolism and aspects of modernism in order to convey a hidden truth. about human nature in society. To put it simply, his story, “In a Grove,” is the story of a murder. However, underlying the entire story are themes of deception and honor. The murder victim, a trained samurai, is lured into a grove and killed, and the suspects are his wife, the thief and himself. Instead of pleading innocent, each suspect pleads guilty to preserve their honor. The blade is a recurring symbol in this story and shows the preservation of this honor. On page 25 the thief Tajomaru states that he "did not like to resort to unfair means to kill" the samurai Takehiko. Instead he claims to have offered to cross swords with him and then kill him after twenty-three blows. In this way the sword represents a means to perform an act of honor. Killing the samurai without fighting would be dishonorable, but by using the sword Tajomaru achieves the honor. Furthermore, Takehiko goes on to state: You don't use your swords. You kill people with your power, with your money” (Akutagawa 20). Takehiko charges that the Ju...... center of the card ...... is masculine in societies where these qualities are highly valued. The fact that the blade appears in both works and carries similar symbolic meanings demonstrates that not only is the image of the blade truly transcultural, but so are many of the views on honor and masculinity in Japanese and Latin American societies. . Both masculinity and honor determine how society views a person and in many cases this is a crucial part of society. Blade's image demonstrates how crucial these aspects are to people of different cultures around the world and those who strive to be perceived by their society as masculine and honorable. Works Cited Akutagawa, Ryunosuke. Rashomon and other stories. Trans. Takashi Kojima, Tokyo:Tuttle Publishing, 1952.Marquez, Gabriel Garcia. Chronicle of a death foretold. Translation, Gregory Rabasa. New York: Vintage International, 1982.