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
Several of Tsukiyama’s themes in The Samurai’s Garden work on the concept of duality. Stephen begins his journey struggling with duality and, by the end of it, understands that embracing duality is embracing life. When he comes to Tarumi, he is isolated from his family, his friends, and to some degree (because he does not know himself fully) himself. He longs for connection but is unsure how to create it.
While Stephen was not a brute prior to this journey, he was in some senses still a boy. Through his relationships with Matsu, Sachi, and Keiko, he learns how to give and receive evolved compassion and kindness. He connects with others’ history and suffering. As he leaves Tarumi on his own to embark on the rest of his life, he understands that all beings are both alone and together, and that the wisdom that comes from solitude may be applied to the relationships that make life worth living.
Tsukiyama, the novel’s author, was born in San Francisco to a Japanese father and a Chinese mother. Her understanding of these two cultures is not only theoretical, but also personal. Her own life is informed by her parents’ ancestry; we cannot know her mind, but it is not outlandish to imagine that her subjects explore cultural conflicts and convergences related to those she herself may have experienced.