Is there a difference between a flower that grows inside and one that grows outside? Perhaps, but only in aesthetics. This difference in mere appearance has us separating one from another--segregating the 'beauty' from the 'not-quite-so'. But a flower grown in the greenhouse has never felt the wind blow across its petals, the pure sun shine upon its face, or the sense of purpose in being a part of an ecosystem. No, the beautiful flowers grown inside share none of these experiences. So, what makes them beautiful?
This book raised many questions about human behavior and how we treat things as well as one another. Terrible atrocities have occurred on American soil, committed by American citizens, and I believe the author does an outstanding job of bringing one such event to light. I thought that the author's decision to include a brief history of the Japanese and Native American soldiers' who fought for our (and their) country was very appropriate and important. May we always remember what this looks like so that we never let it happen again.
'Weedflower' has a lot of classroom potential due to the myriad of subjects that it presents. 'The Bracelet' is a good match, as would be 'The Bicycle Man' by Allen Say.
雑草の花 is "weedflower" in Japanese. Not really important, but I speak the language so I thought I'd throw it in there :)
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This book did pose a lot of questions about human behavior and how we look at other things through our eyes and I really enjoyed how you brought that up
ReplyDeleteI think it is neat how you incorporated Japanese that you have learned into your post. I agree that the book posed questions about human behavior and it is really interesting to look back and reflect on these WW II times knowing what we know now to be true.
ReplyDeleteYou made a lot of great points about the book. I agree that 'The Braclet' would be a good match to use with 'Weedflower.' We do need to learn about how Americans have treated others in the past. We need to learn from our past mistakes as a nation.
ReplyDeleteI loved how you personified the greenhouse flower. I thought that the stock flowers in "Weedflower" represented hardy but beautiful flowers that didn't need protection and had to withstand the elements (much like Sumiko). I liked that you included "Weedflower" in Japanese, very unique.
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ReplyDeleteI wish I could write as well as you do! I love your first paragraph. It makes some great points. I have always liked the yellow weedflowers. They grew in my backyard, and my dad loved cutting them down. We also had a rose bush, which I hated because I ran into it a good times as a kid. The yellow weedflowers always seemed prettier than roses. How long have you taken Japanese?
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