‘’The life of samurai was not his own but belonged entirely to his
When learning about and analyzing acts of mass atrocity during World War II, hundreds if not thousands of questions can be asked trying to gain a deeper understanding for their actions. Probably one of the most intriguing thoughts to ponder is what leads individuals and societies as a whole to descend to such a level of cruelty. According to the author of Unbroken, Laura Hillenbrand, one reason may be, “Few societies treasured dignity, and feared humiliation, as did the Japanese, for whom a loss of honor could merit suicide. This is likely one of the reasons why Japanese soldiers in World War II debased their prisoners with such zeal, seeking to take from them that which was most painful and destructive to lose” (189). To elaborate, the Japanese
The characters all change and improve their personal self esteem, as when Sachi has learned to love herself and accept the beauty of life and find herself through the actions of Matsu, and the words of Stephen. Matsu has affected Sachi not by what he claimed, but by what he had done; Matsu cared for Sachi and showed empathy and respect where nobody else had, making it all the more valuable, and that gradually assisted Sachi in having hope for herself and for her dignity. Throughout the forty or more years that Sachi had been afflicted with leprosy, she went on that journey of self-actualization, and Matsu helped her through it, through his simple thoughts and actions, as when he came to Sachi’s rescue when she ran away from her own death, when
Also stated in “The Way of the Samurai,” and “Le Morte d’ Arthur,” the codes that a samurai follows is Bushido and Chivalry, the moral code that a knight follows (Doc. E). In Bushido, a samurai keeps a state of peace between other people, but uses his weapons only when necessary. One will be respectful between father and child, older sibling to younger sibling, and husband to wife. In Chivalry, knights are to be helpful to
Throughout the course of The Samurai’s Garden, Gail Tsukiyama uses Sachi’s experiences with having to deal with leprosy and how she wasn’t beautiful anymore to illustrate the idea that inner beauty is more important than outer beauty. Sachi had to go through the horrors of experiencing leprosy. One thing that Sachi had was outer beauty and most girls from Tarumi didn’t have as much as she did. Once Sachi found out she had leprosy she couldn’t brace herself into thinking that her life was never going to be the same. “ Then I had to admit that it might be a sign of the disease.
From the Kamakura Period of the late twelfth century to the Meiji Restoration in the nineteenth century, the samurai have held prominent positions as noble warriors in Japanese society. They have come to be famous in modern, Western pop culture as the fierce, stoic guards of feudal Japan, but their practices and rituals extended beyond wielding katanas and donning impressive armor. Samurai practices were rich and complex, with strict codes, ritual suicide, and a history of influencing culture and politics (“Samurai”). Samurai code was influenced by traditional Japanese culture, Zen Buddhism, and Confucianism. Bushido, or “Way of the Warrior,” was the code of conduct the samurai class were expected to uphold.
Set in the calm and quiet town of Tarumi, Gail Tsukiyama’s, The Samurai’s Garden, is about a twenty-year-old boy named Stephen who is sent away from his hometown of Hong Kong to Tarumi due to his tuberculosis. Through the course of the story, he interacts with others in Tarumi including, Sachi, Kenzo, and Matsu. Throughout his stay, he learns how these three individuals are connected and about their eventful past. Tsukiyama uses Sachi’s experiences of running away from her option of death and listening to her friend’s lesson of humility to demonstrate that isolation is to disconnect one from the social pressures of reality and it allows for self-discovery. When Sachi has contracted the disease of leprosy, she is faced with the option of death;
In conclusion pride can mean many things and can be shown in many ways. At some point we may be humble. On our way there it may be be more difficult. The concept of pride is like a explantion of how theuniverse started.
It’s funny to think that shame could be a worse punishment than death or prison, but it’s quite true. Our nation is over 200 years old and we are heavily influenced by those who originally came to the new world, the Puritans. Puritan society was the foundation for many things, punishment being no exception and shame as a method of it included. Through the analyzation of literature and media, we can see just how much the Puritans influenced and continues to influence our modern day society.
“Pride is a wonderful, terrible thing, a seed that bears two vines, life and death” (Hurst 2). This is how James Hurst describes pride in his heart-wrenching short story, “The Scarlet Ibis.” What speaks to me most about this quote is its profound truth. For the majority of people, pride is either a positive or negative thing, but what Hurst and I seem to agree about is the fact that pride can be both. It is an undeniable symptom of the human condition, a tool that can either create or destroy, and is responsible for the best and worst parts of history.
Down to the penultimate Canto, Dante meets the second pair of sinners bound together: Ugolino and Ruggieri. Ugolino bites the skull of Ruggieri—the vengeance that he badly wanted on earth is given to him for eternity. This image of Ugolino and Ruggieri reminds us of the image of Paulo and Francesca as the only sinners in Hell that are bound together. The juxtaposition of Ugolino and Francesca ultimately demonstrates two facets of love: A fatherly love that was rejected because of pride and a passionate love that was pursued despite its unlawful nature. (Inf.
Every person has taken pride in their accomplishments whether it is overcoming adversity or being admired by peers. Having pride provides confidence and belief that any challenge in their lives can be overcome. On the other hand, excessive pride can be detrimental. It may lead a person to become overconfident in their abilities or beliefs and unaware of the harm they may cause towards others with their actions. In the three short stories, “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan, “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst, and “The Possibility of Evil” by Shirley Jackson, the authors convey the perils of exorbitant pride.
In Arthur Miller’s dramatic play The Crucible, John Proctor, the protagonist, symbolized truth and justice by displaying honor and pride in his name. The change in balance between those two attributes acted as a catalyst in defining moments of the play. In the beginning, Proctor equally reflected both pride and honor in separate events. However, when forced to make a decision, he chose honor over pride. Ultimately, both his honor and pride pushed him to commit the ultimate sacrifice.
Everyone has, or will, experience shame and a feeling of strong dislike or hate. In the autobiography “Shame” by Dick Gregory, he relates back to his childhood when he first experienced these feelings. Imagine being as young as seven and going through an experience that would leave you ashamed of everything about yourself. Imagine being this young, and being left feeling less than others and believing you always need to prove yourself for others so you can break away from the shame. In Gregory’s autobiography he uses diction, language, syntax, and imagery in order to create a frustrated tone to express what being put to shame felt like.
Even in my shame, I cannot feel remorse for what Christopher and I did. His lovemaking was so passionate yet gentle, that I could not escape the volcanic eruption of emotions I felt as we made love- and, the things he said to me- done to me! He said he wanted to taste me- his mouth explored every inch of me- just thinking of it gives way to this burning desire I feel for him- a want and need that is so deeply carnal that it is not rational. Remembering how his mouth kissed mine, how it suckled the tender, throbbing rosebuds of my breasts… how his warm breath felt as his lips brushed against my thighs… Wave after pleasurable wave of vaginal contractions, left me weak, drained of physical strength, yet, fulfilled; it was a most pleasurable experience
