Post by Cindy Xia on Sept 9, 2015 20:29:11 GMT
In the beginning of the story, a child was mentioned waiting for his father’s ship. As we read on, we noticed that there was a storm the night before. From this I think that the child’s father died in the storm and that the materials the children gather were from the ship. A crow was also mentioned flying towards Kamakura and usually a crow symbols bad news so maybe the father did die. Because of the storm, the fisherman was unable to catch a lot of fish so that may also be bad news. This could be seen when the fisherman came back not singing but instead only looking.
Throughout the whole story, there were mentions of loneliness. We can see that from the child in the first paragraph, the fisherman in the beginning, the winter night, the fire that was burning after the children left for their homes and the wanderer. I find this really fascinating because we first read of the lonely child and fisherman then we read about a group of kids who aren’t lonely but instead free and having fun then we’re back to the lonely winter night and fire and also wanderer. I think this has something to do with mujo because being alone or feeling loneliness means that it is only the thing or person there and that everything else gradually disappears. Towards the end of the story we read that the children left the fire alone in the night and also the wanderer left the fire alone. Then the fire and the footsteps were erased by the waves; this shows that nothing is permanent.
Going back to the beginning, there was a line that says "soundlessly the boat scatters them and disappears among the reeds." This also shows mujo because in this line the words "scatters" and "disappears" are mentioned and these words mean something or someone is gone from a position.
The question I want to ask is: What does the fire symbolize?
Throughout the whole story, there were mentions of loneliness. We can see that from the child in the first paragraph, the fisherman in the beginning, the winter night, the fire that was burning after the children left for their homes and the wanderer. I find this really fascinating because we first read of the lonely child and fisherman then we read about a group of kids who aren’t lonely but instead free and having fun then we’re back to the lonely winter night and fire and also wanderer. I think this has something to do with mujo because being alone or feeling loneliness means that it is only the thing or person there and that everything else gradually disappears. Towards the end of the story we read that the children left the fire alone in the night and also the wanderer left the fire alone. Then the fire and the footsteps were erased by the waves; this shows that nothing is permanent.
Going back to the beginning, there was a line that says "soundlessly the boat scatters them and disappears among the reeds." This also shows mujo because in this line the words "scatters" and "disappears" are mentioned and these words mean something or someone is gone from a position.
The question I want to ask is: What does the fire symbolize?
