Post by Alexis Iguina on Sept 2, 2015 19:53:45 GMT
This narrative produced many themes from which children and adults alike can learn from. First and foremost, there is a motif of trust. This motif slowly unravels when the mother of Anju and Zushio easily trust the seemingly amiable boatman Yamaoka while the servant is uneasy about him. Sure enough, the boatman revealed his true intentions when he separated the family and sold them to slavery. This bit teaches us the importance of “stranger danger” or “a wolf in sheep’s skin”; although a person may be kind, his or her true intentions may be opposite. The kindness is just a trap and we find this trickery when it’s too late. Another example of trust, is when Anju contrives a plan to free themselves or at least her brother. When she abruptly reveals the escape plan to her brother, who was hitherto weary about her behavior, he easily accepts and with a passion. In this way, trust is a sign of a deep relationship. In fact, it is a fundamental part of a deep relationship like that of Anju’s and Zushio’s. Unlike the trust his mother had with the boatman, Zushio’s trust with his sister was a good thing as he succeeds at escaping.
Another theme that is prevalent in the story is religion. Religion is a source the characters turn to when they are desperate or in a precarious situation. As soon as the family is separated, the children’s mom tells Anju “to always take care of your guardian amulet, the image of jizo, your guardian god.” Later on the amulet acts as a revelation for the children. With a scar on the head of the jizo, it sort of reveals the urgency Anju has to escape. Also, the amulet helps reveal the true identity of Zushio when he is found after he escaped. It’s history led him to be in a position of power. He is able to help the slaves of Sansho and also search for his mother. Lastly, Zushio was able to succeed at escaping because of a temple. It was a place of refuge.
Question: What are other themes in the story? Where can we find these themes and how does it apply to our own experiences?
Another theme that is prevalent in the story is religion. Religion is a source the characters turn to when they are desperate or in a precarious situation. As soon as the family is separated, the children’s mom tells Anju “to always take care of your guardian amulet, the image of jizo, your guardian god.” Later on the amulet acts as a revelation for the children. With a scar on the head of the jizo, it sort of reveals the urgency Anju has to escape. Also, the amulet helps reveal the true identity of Zushio when he is found after he escaped. It’s history led him to be in a position of power. He is able to help the slaves of Sansho and also search for his mother. Lastly, Zushio was able to succeed at escaping because of a temple. It was a place of refuge.
Question: What are other themes in the story? Where can we find these themes and how does it apply to our own experiences?