64 pages • 2 hours read
Gail TsukiyamaA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Summary
Autumn: September 15, 1937-Autumn: September 29, 1937
Autumn: October 5, 1937-Autumn: October 29, 1937
Autumn: October 30, 1937-Autumn: November 30, 1937
Autumn: December 1, 1937-Winter: December 7, 1937
Winter: December 21, 1937-Winter: February 4, 1938
Winter: February 5, 1938- Winter: March 14, 1938
Spring: March 28, 1938-Spring: May 30, 1938
Summer: June 6, 1938-Summer: July 5, 1938
Summer: July 9, 1938-Summer: August 16, 1938
Summer: August 17, 1938-Autumn: September 23, 1938
Autumn: September 28, 1938-Autumn: October 19
Autumn: October 20, 1938-Autumn: October 26, 1938
Autumn: October 27, 1938-Autumn: October 29, 1938
Character Analysis
Themes
Symbols & Motifs
Important Quotes
Essay Topics
In The Samurai’s Garden, Tsukiyama, a 21st-century woman, writes in first person as a man. Considering the cultural setting of the novel (1930s Japan during the Second Sino-Japanese War), why might she have chosen this narrator?
Stephen’s book is his storytelling method. Why does Tsukiyama choose this means of expression for her narrator (vs. simply having him “speak” his thoughts, his feelings, and the novel’s events)? Please consider Stephen’s personality, the journal style’s effect on the reader, and the importance of the act of creation as put forth in the novel.
Flowers are a central symbol in The Samurai’s Garden. Please choose three instances of flowers as symbol from the novel and explain how they help us to understand Stephen’s journey.