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The Samurai's Garden Quotes

Decent Essays

Literary Excerpts
"The garden is a world filled with secrets. Slowly, I see more each day. The black pines twist and turn to form graceful shapes, while the moss is a carpet of green that invites you to sit by the pond. Even the stone lanterns, which dimly light the way at night, allow you to see only so much. Matsu 's garden whispers at you, never shouts; it leads you down a path hoping for more, as if everything is seen, yet hidden. There 's a quiet beauty here I only hope I can capture on canvas." - Stephen at the beach house planning to paint Matsu 's garden, page 31 This excerpt is the first time the reader sees Stephen thinking through his painting, which is very important to his character development. It also highlights …show more content…

He rubbed the edge of his bowl, a pensive expression on his face. 'I had hoped to give Sachi some peace of mind when I left," Matsu continued, 'I didn 't want to leave her so alone. But I made the mistake of telling her Kenzo hadn 't suffered much. Sachi just looked at me in disbelief, then in a voice full of defeat, she whispered, 'But haven 't we all been suffering for years? '" -Matsu on what he said to Sachi after Kenzo 's suicide, page 105 This point in the story is in the aftermath of the shock of Kenzo 's suicide. Matsu and Sachi both feel incredible guilt for Kenzo 's death, and so naturally Matsu is trying to make Sachi feel better. Here the author makes it clear that Matsu has an intense devotion and love for Sachi, and that he is trying to do anything to make her feel at peace. The author uses a common expression of Matsu 's, his pensive expression, and shows that Matsu is actually in pain, not indifference as the reader might have previously thought. It also shows the guilt that Sachi still feels about contracting leprosy, how she still blames herself. It is a critical point in the story where the reader learns important traits about both Matsu and Sachis ' characters. " 'I couldn 't, ' I began to cry, turning away in shame. Then Matsu leaned over close to my ear. He smelled of sweat and the earth as he whispered, 'It takes greater courage to live. ' ' ' - Sachi recalling what Matsu said to her when he saved her after

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