So Far From the Bamboo Grove Final Post

1. I was shocked at what happened, especially when Hideyo came. I had a feeling that it would be him, but when it said it really was him I was kind of surprised. I found it kind of satisfying, but at the same time I didn't. I was happy when Hideyo and Yoko got to reunite with them. However, I wish that the author wrote about their father and when he came home.

The conflicts that were resolved were that Hideyo finally found his family again (part of it anyway). They also got the savings book and have a little more money because Hideyo brought it. But, some of the conflicts that weren't resolved was that she didn't write that their father came home six years later, even though it said in the notes in the back of the book. I think that she chose to end it there because she would give more of a cliff-hanger. Maybe she just decided that it would be hard to write out the events until six years later, when he came home.

2. I think that they take attention to look at the different Japanese customs so that they could keep them going because even though they were living in Korea, they were Japanese. So, I think that they were trying to keep those traditional customs going in their family. I think that the purpose it serves in their lives is keeping the traditions going and to show that they are Japanese. I think that I would observe all of the traditional food that they ate and their clothes, such as the kimonos and all that. Maybe I would observe their New Year and see how they celebrated it.

3. I respect Yoko the most because if I were her I would complain way more. Plus, I can relate more to her because I'm about her age. I also appreciate her because she probably got more tired because she had to walk a lot. She also kept pretty calm through her whole school experience, and I like how she took responsibility and adjusted to different circumstances. I also respect Ko and their mother a lot because through it all, they never complained. They always kept calm and they never really got annoyed that much, or at least it didn't show.

4. I learned a lot about how everyone wanted to have control over Korea to use it as a port. I also learned that when the Americans bombed several areas in Japan, they didn't bomb Kyoto because of it's special meaning to the Japanese. They thought that if they bombed the shrine, then the population there would not like to surrender even more. I also learned that they took people from age 12 to about age 50 into the war because they were pretty much desperate for more soldiers. I would like to learn more about what the war was about. I would also like to learn about how long it lasted and who was allied with who.

5. I think that one of the main themes of this story is to appreciate that you don't have to go through what they did. One of the other themes in this novel was to not complain with what you have and to appreciate that you have a nice house and food everyday. One of the other themes m ight be to not be jealous of what other people have and to live with what you have because there's always worse. I think that this novel shows this because this is what those girls at Yoko's school should have learned in life and that they should have appreciated what they had.

So Far From the Bamboo Grove OP #4

1. I think that Yoko wants to help Mr. Naido because he helps her all of the time and I think that she feels that she needs to give back to him somehow. He helps her in many different ways. For one, he is pretty much her only friend. For two, he helps her get money and school supplies.

2. I think that it's a turning point for Yoko because at that point she really realizes that she should help her sister (pretty much her only family) to get more money. I think at that point that she realizes that she should become more of an adult and really help her broken up family get more money. I think she changes by trying to really appreciate he sister more and all that she's trying to do for her.

3. Did you expect their mom to die when you read it? Why/why not? How did you feel about it?

I really didn't expect her to die that soon. I thought for sure that she would live and see her family again. I didn't think that she would die because she was still talking and she seemed fine. I really felt sad when it happened because she didn't even see her son or husband and she hadn't seen Ko for like a week, and then she just died.

So Far From the Bamboo Grove OP #3

1. a. I think that Ko, Yoko, and their mom feel that they have to leave Korea and Pusan because they saw other Japanese women being raped and torured by Koreans Communists. I think thatn they were raped because they were Japanese, but if they were Koreans, then I think they would probably be raped anyways because of how they were. "In the weeds, there was a Korean man on top of a girl. She was kicking wildly and screaming." There were several other times where this happened, which, when you think about it, is terrible.

1. b. I think that they made the right choice in leaving both Korea and Pusan, even though they had to leave Hideyo behind. I think that it wasn't safe enough for them there. I would have done the same thing, even though it meant leaving Hideyo behind.

Why do you think that their mother kept so calm through all of this and hardly spoke unless it was an order?

I think that she keeps so calm because she is concerned about her daughters and the outcome of it all. I think that she thinks that her daughters watch and follow what she does, so if she complains, then they will complain too. Maybe she just feels that she doesn't need to say anything, or maybe she's shocked by what's going on and can't even say anything about it.

So Far From the Bamboo Grove OP #2

1. I think that Hideyo really takes on a leadership role in his family, because he thinks he should, due to the fact that they're father is gone a lot of the time. I think that he is just like everyone in his family, scared but hides it well, except Yoko only because she is a kid. I think that Hideyo understands that he needs to take on the father role just because their father is gone a lot. "'Most of my classmates have enlisted,' said Hideyo,serious for once. "I have decided to go to help our country.'"

2. If I would have to leave my home, like the kawashima family did, I don't know what I'd do. I would definetely bring food (i.e. non perishable food items like canned food, etc.). I would bring this because, of course, I would need to eat in order to live and I would not know how long I would be away. I would aslos bring water in closable cups and things like that. I would bring that because, like food, you have to have water in order to live. I would bring an extra pair of clothes. I would bring that in case it gets really cold or in case they get really dirty or wet. I would quickly grab a picture of my family so that I would have something to live and move forward off of. And if there were any time left, I would grab things that were really old and passed on that are somewhat valuable (like my great grandmothers rings that she gave me that were really important to her, etc.). I don't know how I could leave all of those things including my house, but I would have to, which shows that a lot of people have a ton of stuff, which they take for granted, which is hard to say, but it's true.

3. There are a lot of events in this story that shock me, but I'd have to say that worst would be when Ko explained when she saw a girl had been raped and when Hideyo was trapped in the building when he saw his friends being killed right in front of him. They shock me so much because I can't believe that a human would actually do that to another human because of their race. Even if they were all the same race, it would definetly not make it right. There are so many parts in this book where I don't even believe it's a true story because of how un-real it seems, even thought the characters seem real. I wish none of that even happened.