The Samurai's Garden By Gail Tsukiyama

According to the Mental Health Foundation, “Friendship can play a key role in helping someone live with or recover from a mental health problem and overcome the isolation that often comes with it.” This displays how amity is an important factor when people are facing with obstacles in their lives. In the novel, The Samurai’s Garden, Gail Tsukiyama talks about a young man who has the sickness of Tuberculosis. He is then sent to Japan to recover at his family vacation house. During his long stay, he learns many important lessons, especially about Sachi’s experience with her disease of leprosy. Throughout the time that she is facing with her sickness, Sachi becomes friends with Matsu, a man who is the house caretaker of the main character. Later

Sachi almost commits suicide at the beach with the other people who have leprosy, yet runs away from the beach and into the woods. After Matsu finds Sachi in the woods all by herself, Matsu “leaned over close to [her] ear” and consoles her “as he whispered, ‘It takes greater courage to live’ (139) before taking her to Yamaguchi, the leper colony. Sachi could’ve been left alone to die, yet Matsu manages to follow and find her in her toughest time. Instead of just taking Sachi away to Yamaguchi, he also tells her how she has “greater courage” to live on unlike the other people who commit suicide. That phrase is a huge motivation for Sachi to stand up and continue on with her life. Additionally, he “leaned over close” to Sachi when he whispers those words rather than yelling straight at her. As Sachi grows more comfortable living in Yamaguchi, she feels “‘as if [she] [is] a child learning to walk again, Matsu enticed [her] to take one step at a time: bringing [her] to Yamaguchi, then building [her] a house…’” (148). After Matsu takes Sachi to the town of Yamaguchi, he continues to look out for her and most importantly, teaches her like “a child” to start over. He guides her step by step to the town and eventually helps her build a house which is all new to her. Not only does he teach her, but

In the middle of Sachi’s journey to the village, she tries to run away but trips over and falls. Shortly after Sachi wakes up from her fall, she is in a little house where Michiko “knelt down beside [her] and gently wiped [her] face with a wet towel” as Sachi doesn’t “think [she’s] ever felt anything more soothing” (141). Michiko is like a complete stranger to Sachi, yet instantly cares for her at first sight. She “knelt down” to wipe Sachi’s face rather than just giving Sachi a towel to clean by herself. Through Michiko’s actions, Sachi realizes how she has never been through “anything more soothing” than having someone clean her face. Sachi probably views Michiko as her mom who is watching out for her. Without Michiko’s caring for Sachi, Sachi would’ve been lonely by herself without anyone’s help during those tough nights. At times where both Michiko and Sachi are alone in the little house, Michiko would tell stories where Sachi “thirsted for every word as if [her] life somehow grew on them” (144). Aside from just taking care of Sachi, Michiko goes beyond and tells stories to Sachi as a way to keep her company. Sachi “thirsted for every word” when she hears the stories. This phrase strongly indicates how Sachi deeply values the words in Michiko’s stories and wants to hear more of it. It also