"The Samurai's Garden" by Gail Tsukiyama

Paper Summary:

The paper shows how "The Samurai's Garden" by Gail Tsukiyama is a tale of bridging cultural divisions, specifically between the Japanese and Chinese. The paper illustrates the book's theme that friendship proves to be stronger than the cultural tensions between different peoples.

From the Paper:

""Every day I work in the garden with Sachi, I feel stronger" says Stephen of Matsu's old, dear friend Sachi (Tsukiyama 57). As the Chinese student finds strength rebuilding a Japanese garden, even while Japan is at war with China, Tsukiyama suggests that there are no essentially Chinese or Japanese values, only human values, such as the courage shown by Matsu's friend Sachi, which proves instructive to Stephen. Like Stephen, Sachi is wounded by a physical ailment. Stephen's illness is not visible to the world, unlike Sachi's illness Sachi is affected with the disfiguring disease of leprosy. Initially, the illness has seemed to destroy her beauty. When Stephen first meets her, he is shocked at the white puckers on her skin, which she tries to hide with a scarf. People are prejudiced at times against Sachi, and call her appearance monstrous."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Tsukiyama, Gail. The Samurai's Garden. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1996.

More papers on "The Samurai's Garden" by Gail Tsukiyama:

• Analytical Essay # 130824 : "The Samurai Banner of Furin Kazan" and Social Order"
• Analytical Essay # 142345 : "The Ash Garden"
• Book Review # 100620 : "Yasushi Inoue's "The Samurai Banner of Furin Kazan"

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