My friend King accompanied me on the train, and hovered over me all the way home to Hong Kong. He is to busy thinking about Sachi and what had happened last time together. The author also alludes to one's ability to build upon life rather than mere acceptance. Slow and somehow not dull, but beautiful. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Samurai's Garden by Gail Tsukiyama. Born to a Chinese mother and a Japanese father in San Francisco, Gail Tsukiyama now lives in El Cerrito, California. Through the character of Stephen one can conclude that outside forces do not control a person's life because in life people can take what has been given to them and do . When Stephen asked Matsu about his opinion on the war, he responded indifferently and seemed to have near no interest in the outcome. Samurai were Japanese warriors from the 16 to 19th centuries. So, for starters, this book sucks. The Samurai's Garden Analysis. Tilak nagar, mayapuri , Garden Pebbles Price Philippines . He says that he's lost the moment it's finished. On March 7, Stephen writes that time has slowed to a crawl. Following this explanation, Matsu revealed that Kenzo and Sachi were once engaged, and Matsu went on to explain that Sachi was the only girl Kenzo ever loved. This Study Guide consists of approximately 41pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - The Samurai's Garden I love discovering new authors, especially when they can put pen to paper and carry you into a story you can visualize. And they were delicately beautiful details. Rocks are arranged to resemble water and Sachi rearranges the rocks to resemble ripples from a single point or from a wave. It gave me an insight into the beauty of Japan and the way of life in the remote parts of that country in the 1930s. He attributes it at least partly to the fact that both Keiko and Sachi have all but vanished from his life. Matsumoto . Yamaguchi is alive with celebration, though Sachi's house is more somber with only a shime-nawaa rope of twisted straw thought to keep evil spirits away. He (read more from the Winter: January and February 1938 Summary). Matsu told Stephen due to his own foolishness he has caused Sachi to suffer another disgrace in her life. Kenzo had a crush on her since their childhood and had been keeping in contact through Matsu. I enjoyed every page of this gentle, meditative book. Even now, it's a joke between us. 1497 votes. The Samurai's Garden - Winter: December 5 through December 25, 1937 Summary & Analysis Gail Tsukiyama This Study Guide consists of approximately 41 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of The Samurai's Garden. In Gail Tsukiyama's The Samurai's Garden Stephen is sent from his homeland in China to Japan to recover from tuberculosis. Matsu slowly unveils and shares his life, customs, friends and secrets to Stephen and embraces Stephen as one of his own. Stephan starts the conversation by telling Sachi that he is alone and didn't tell Matsu so she can fell "safe". Summary: September 29, 1937 The past week was hard for Stephen, he had been confined to a quiet loneliness that covered him like a smothering embrace, but in the morning when he had returned from a swim, Matsu let him know a package had arrived for him. Rashomon (1950) - Plot summary, synopsis, and more. It is a portrait of one indomitable woman who will do anything to keep her family together. Stephen's story is long and arduous, because the novel is a portrait of a fledgling adult's first experience of real life. This detailed literature summary also contains Topics for Discussion and a Free Quiz on The Samurai's Garden by Gail Tsukiyama. Matsu appeared standoffish and aloof towards Stephen, leaving him to his own devices for the most part. This was the first time in a long time, Pie being born, whom had become to focal point of his parents attention, that Stephen had been so close with his father. ISBN-13: 9780312144074. The girls When Stephen encounters two girls his own age, it's the first time that had happened to him. Matsu's younger sister was among those in the village infected when the village experienced an outbreak of leprosy. This Study Guide consists of approximately 41pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more - This left Stephen emotionally wrecked, he snuck back to his room, knowing that once Sachi went to Yamaguchi, she wouldnt return to the house again. He'd known that Sachi never left Yamaguchi and finding her down with in Tarumi with Matsu threw him into a rage thinking they'd been lying to him the whole time. This is a portrait of life as a young man. The samurai class had a certain type of weapons used in war and their battles they had 3 different types of swords. Overall, I hated it. Sachi accompanied him, she had come to visit after the storm passed. Summary. will review the submission and either publish your submission or providefeedback. The slow pace about everyday activities while he is being cared for by a Japanese caretaker is meditative. You follow the character stephen through his journal as it skips through the months and seasons. It gave me a glimpse of a life that was harsh, brutal and bit scary. Not affiliated with Harvard College. Later that night they ate dinner, Stephen was thrilled to finally have someone to speak to again, and they conversed while they ate. He got to see her again a few days before he left, The relationship between the three was fairly obvious at that point. He stays with Matsu a master gardener and the home's caretaker. That friendship is enhanced when Stephen meets Sachithe woman Matsu helped through her discovery of her own infection with leprosy. You see things you dont see when you are distracted by the noise. Thats how this book felt for me--quiet and calm enough to expose some details I might otherwise have missed. Summary: October 30, 1937 During breakfast Stephen asked if he could bring Sachi a small present, Matsu at first said it would embarrass her but eventually yielded. In anger he tears off Sachi's scarf and calls her a monster, Matsu tells Kenzo that he is the true monster in the situation and pushes him out the door in anger. China, 1957. The December 5, 1937, entry begins with Stephen saying he's tried to paint but is having trouble getting started. I wanted to accompany Stephen back to Hong Kong to rejoin his mother and sister. The Samurai's Garden takes place is both the crowded streets of Hong Kong and a small coastal village in Japan, during the time when Japan's Imperial Army was invading China in the late 1930's. The book follows a 20-year-old man named Steven, who is sent from Hong Kong, to his deceased grandfather's beach house in a coastal Japanese village to . Once Stephen had finished reading the letter, he had become far more homesick and saddened than he had been in a while and lie down for a nap, which was quickly interrupted. Winter and Spring: March, 1938 Summary There are no journal entries for a month following Kenzo's funeral. Not only is it vapid, shallow, and cliche, it is also factually incorrect. Matsu is quiet, but has hidden depths of wisdom. The samurai's garden study guide contains a biography of gail tsukiyama, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. He also learns about himself through the process. He attributes it at least partly to the fact that both Keiko and Sachi have all but vanished from his life. You can help us out by revising, improving and updating Summary: October 8, 1937 Stephen walked with his father to the train station, after bidding farewell to him on his return journey he felt a sense of hollowness that made him want to cry. Gail Tsukiyama, 1994. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. He really made the two main male characters come to life for me. In the first "Winter" chapter, Stephen writes, "Sachi's presence, which had held us and the garden captive is gone, leaving an emptiness that can't be filled" (73). Keiko's family had gone to visit family in Osaka, upon her return Stephen finds that her brother has been killed in the war, as an effect it sounds like their chance in a relationship is shot for the most part. [1] Many consider it to be Tsukiyama's finest work, and an influential piece in Asian American literature. He goes back to stay with his family in hong kong for awhile as he recovers. The Samurai's Garden Autumn: December 1, 1937-Winter: December 7, 1937 Summary & Analysis Autumn: December 1, 1937 Summary Stephen leaves Matsu and Sachi working together happily in the much-improved garden and goes to the calm, storm-littered beach to meet Keiko. This report describes the origins of samurai, who they were, how they came into being, their way of living, their standards, and their importance in the world today.. 13 Pages (3250 words) Report Sachi says that society thinks of her as a monster, and these thoughts have obviously rubbed off on her self-concept. Although Stephen is the narrator of the story, the lives of Matsu and Sachi were the most important focus of the book. 1st St. Martin's Griffin ed. December 21, 1937 Summary: Stephen receives a letter from his mother after his father's visit and after she received a letter from him and his father. Print Word PDF This section contains 1,099 words This feeling had seemed to him, to be amplified by the tranquil serenity of Tarumi village and that even the light had a way of illuminating even the most subtle nuance, which left him to ponder if whether his father felt the same way. It was the first one that went anywhere and he found out that Matsu had two sisters, but one had died; the conversation ended shortly after but Stephen felt he had made some progress. Four stars for the wonderful characters and the setting. External-identifier urn:oclc:record:861608883 urn:lcp:samuraisgarden00tsuk:lcpdf:df0a40ce-0f6c-4d55-b6a6-1ee7f5efb876 urn:lcp:samuraisgarden00tsuk:epub:836bddd6-dd6e-4690-b8c2-f5b5ac29dca5 Extramarc Columbia University Libraries Foldoutcount 0 Identifier samuraisgarden00tsuk Identifier-ark Written by Stacy Higgins, motaz ahmed, Eric Tam, Lily Lu, Nguyn Trn Phong Lnh and other people who wish to remainanonymous. The Samurai class was one of the highest classes to be in medieval Japan .These elite warriors are said to be the best of the best in the system of Japanese warriors. The story begins as he becomes ill with tuberculosis while studying at a school in canton. Despite his dad's sincerity Stephen is pretty disgusted and acts indifferent. Here he is cared for by Matsu, a reticent housekeeper and a master gardener. At one point Kieko, Stephen's love interest, is apologizing for how rudely her father acted towards Stephen. View summary. Upon arriving in the Village of Tarumi, they had come to a teahouse where Stephen met Matsus friend Kenzo; the go-to man for Matsu. 763 Words4 Pages. Sachi says that her presences in Tarumi has brought "great dishonor to all of you", then explains that Kenzo saw her. A 20-year-old Chinese painter named Stephen is sent to his family's summer home in a Japanese coastal village to recover from a bout with tuberculosis. Sachi was very grateful when Stephen gave her his sketch, claiming that hed brought her the very sea and she was honored to receive the present. On March 14, he takes a sketch pad to the garden and has just seated himself when Keiko arrives. While it takes place during WWII (during Japan's massacre of Nanking), very little of the war intrudes. You may hear about legends and heros in your lifetime that have done great deeds to the world. I'm not finished reading the book yet, but it is completely engaging as it allows me to slip away from my world of clutter and bright colours and stress and spend some time in a Japanese garden contemplating the beauty of life and people.