So Far From the Bamboo Grove Post 5

(1) How did you respond to the ending of the story? Why/why not did you find the ending satisfying? Explain what conflicts got resolved, and what issues remain unresolved for the Kawashima family. Why do you think Yoko chose to end the book there?

I responded to the end of the story I think slightly negatively because once you get to know the characters you want to follow them everywhere. You want to see if they survive, if their father comes back but the story just ends, and you want to know more. One of the conflicts that was thankfully solved in this book was that Yoko and Ko finally found Hideyo. I think it is sad that they do not find their father for another six years and that they do not know whether he is alive or dead. I think Yoko (THE AUTHOR!) decided to end the story because she wanted the reader to actually think and wonder about what happened during WWII and that time period after the war.

(2) Despite all their hardships, the Kawashima family takes time out throughout the course of the novel to observe certain Japanese customs in the traditional manner. Why do you think they do this? What purpose does it serve in their lives? If you were in their family's position, which customs or rituals do you think you and your family would still observe?
I think the Kawashima family continue to observe their traditions because it really is all they have left. They've lost their house and they don't even know whether father or Hideyo is still alive. Well I think the traditions are kind of their only remaining "life" because all the rest of it was lost. If I was in the Kawashima family position then I would probably want to celebrate what I call "pizza night," where every Friday we celebrate a good week with pizza. Of course, if I lived during that time traveling from North Korea to Japan I would not have access to pizza but I would probably have had another festive food that I would use to celebrate.

(3) Which character in the novel do you respect and admire the most? Give specific reasons for your choice.
I respect Ko the most because it seems like she knows the most about how to survive and how to stay safe during their long and dangerous voyage. I admire Ko the most because she is the most skilled at finding food and is very responsible to make sure that when she finds food none of it is wasted. Also it seems like she puts a lot of effort into working to put food on the table for Yoko, herself and now Hideyo. I think she is the most responsible because she takes care of Yoko and wants her to always stay happy.

(4) What did you learn about history from this novel? Share some of the historical content you found new and/or interesting as we read the novel. What do you still want to learn, or what questions do you still have?
I learned while reading this book that North and South Korea have been invaded many times because of their placement. I learned that China and Japan have been fighting over North and South Korea for years (THOUSANDS OF YEARS!). I also learned that Russia, during and before WWII, trained the Korean Communist Army to fight the Japanese for North Korea's "freedom." I would like to learn a bit more about the wars over Korea by the Chinese and Japanese thousands of years ago and how these started.

(5) What lessons about human nature can you learn from this novel?
A lesson about human nature that I learned was that no matter what the problem or dilemma, we humans should never lose hope, should never give up, and should all ways have faith in ourselves and others even in the darkest moments. I learned that human nature should always be caring during times like these and people should always stay together. Although it is human nature to help others, it is also human nature to sometimes do as your told, like what happened to some Koreans who joined the Korean army in the book.