Horror in the East

 In study of J-Horror I read some of Seven Japanese Tales. In particular, the story that stood out the most to me was The Thief. Interestingly, the story provides an alternative perspective of horror; fear of isolation from society. The protagonist struggles to cope with his bad habit, resulting in severe anxiety of whatever could arise simply from others suspecting from him. In this day and age this fear is more relatable than ever, many suspects of crime facing a trial by media. News outlets tend to exaggerate and drain all focus to tragedies, such as the case with Casey Anthony. Even when the court found her innocent in her case, the majority had already viewed her as a guilty murderer, and continued to do so. Similar cases can be seen where people falsely accused of rape are found guilty and sentenced to years in prison, making a permanent mark of shame for the rest of their lives for crimes they didn't commit. Interestingly in The Thief, the protagonist views all the fears someone falsely suspected of a crime might have, despite being the actual culprit himself. He worries mostly about the relationship of his friends and society, fearing he will be shunned and disgraced by others for his "habit." He admits to his crimes when caught, not even trying to defend himself in front of the others. Is this because he knows his false defense won't be believed by others, or a final attempt to save his friendships?
  In keeping with the theme of social relations as the focus of the horror, the story emphasizes the idea that "a thief belongs to a different species." This is a not so subtle way of showing the protagonist's fears; that he will be considered a different species. An outcast from society with no proper place of his own, constantly being judged for his actions. Interestingly enough, the students seem to think the crime of theft is less severe than that of murder. Why is that? Does it have to do with a traditional sense of honor, that killing an enemy is less lowly than stealing possessions? In our society there's no question that murder is considered the more terrible of the two, but what difference do these students see that we do not?