The Samurai's Garden Stylistic Analysis

The novel The Samurai’s Garden by Gail Tsukiyama, follows Stephen Chan through a journal from a first person perspective. Stephen left his full-time home in Hong Kong, China to stay at his family's vacation house in Tarumi, Japan after being diagnosed with tuberculosis. In Tarumi, he met Matsu and Sachi. He quickly grew fond of their company. Over time, Stephen’s bonds with Matsu and Sachi grew into a form of loyalty that he had never experienced before. The three of them helped each other reach the inner-peace that was need for them to move past their diseases and problems. In the novel, The Samurai’s Garden, Gail Tsukiyama conveys the theme that in order to heal, people need to find their inner strength; she accomplishes this through

Since the novel is told from Stephen’s point of view and Matsu is quite an introvert, it was hard to tell how Matsu was feeling during Stephen’s time in Tarumi. A samurai is a very respected title in Japanese culture. It implies that the beholder is silent, strong, and loyal. Matsu was loyal to, both, Sachi and Stephen from the first time they met. Not only did Matsu look out for them, but he taught them life lessons without them even realizing. In the beginning, Stephen questioned Matsu’s opinions and thought that he had something against the world. Throughout the novel, Stephen stopped questioning Matsu’s silence, and began to respect it. He realized that Matsu’s silence was actually showing his inner strength that has built up from the painful experiences in his life. When Matsu’s garden, the thing he is most devoted to, gets destroyed, he would patiently and carefully rebuild it. Which showed his careful and loving nature towards Sachi and his devotion to the things he loves. Caring for Sachi and Stephen allowed Matsu to heal from the loss of his younger sister Tomoko, and brought him