Samurai's Tale Chapter Questions

The Samurai's Tale
Study Guide Questions

Chapter 1

1. Who is the narrator of The Samurai's Tale?

2. What is the setting of the tale?

3. What does the name Taro mean?  

4. How do the Murakiami’s reaction’s compare to those of Yone’s.  What kind of body language do you read about them?  Identify words or phrases that show how they feel.  (p. 3-6)

5. Why did Murakiami’s mother change into her one silk kimono before the soldiers arrived?

6. How does Murakami's father die?

7. How does Murakami lose all of his family in one day?

8. How and why is Murakami renamed?

9. How does Murakami become the servant of his father's enemy?

10. How is killing the mother’s servants “out of respect for the lad’s mother?”

11. Explain the metaphor in the last paragraph on p.8 regarding where Taro slept.  This symbol of a dog is repeated later in the book.

12. The title of Ch. 1 is “In Blood We Are All Born.”  Why is this the title?  Do you think this applies to everyone everywhere or only to this particular instance or place and time?

Chapter 2

1. Explain the metaphor used in the first paragraph on p.9 regarding the flies.  It is again referred to in the 2^nd paragraph of page 11.  Do you think it is used to foreshadow something?

2. Why is it a big deal that he is wearing shoes?  And why do they take them away?

3. What is the significance of the phrase “hour of the tiger?”

4. How does Kofuchu differ from Taro’s old village?

5. When Taro sees the Wakatono walk by, what does the soldier mean when he says “for him you cannot bow low enough and, if he should kick you, remember to thank him.”

Chapter 3

1. Who is Togan?

2. What are some of Togan’s character traits?  What is he good at?  

3. What does he teach Taro?  How is he “like a big stone in a river that forces the water to alter its course.” What do you think is the most important lesson Taro learns from Togan?

4. Are there people in your own life that have been influential in forming who you are? 

5. Togan wanted to teach him contentment more than anything (p. 20).  Do you think the lesson got through to Taro? What evidence from the story shows yes or no.  

6. Why does Taro kick the dog?  Does it remind you of another character in the story?

7.  Remember the dog analogy at the end of chapter 1? Is Taro like the little dog, or any dog? Why would he think so?  Why does Togan disagree?  What does he mean that he is a healthy puppy?

Chapter 4

1. How does Togan die?

2. Who was the murderer?  

3. What is the difference between a samurai and a ninja?  Do you think it might explain why he is mean?  http://www.differencebetween.net/miscellaneous/difference-between-samurai-and-ninja/

4. How is Taro avenged of Togan’s death?  Do you think it was Karma?  http://buddhism.about.com/od/karmaandrebirth/a/karma.htm

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karma_in_Buddhism

5. How does Taro’s status change?  

6. “Then my eyes caught sight of the pools of blood that the dry earth had not yet totally absorbed and my new-found happiness turned to misery.” P. 31.  Is there a connection to the beginning of the book where chapter 1 is named “In Blood We Are All Born?”

Chapter 5

1. “If pride is a fault, I was far from flawless, and I suffered much.”  What is pride?  Was he saying he had a lot or a little pride?  Why did he suffer?

2. Identify (write down) the body language Jiro used to show that he was prideful (top of page 33) and when he lost his pride (beginning of 2^nd paragraph on page 33).  Do the similes (frog/cat) help you understand the term “puffed up” in the scriptures to indicate pride?

3) Why would Takeda’s own son revolt?

  

4) What was the punishment for Obu and Yoshinobu?  From what you have learned about Bushido, why weren’t they allowed to commit seppuku?

5) Why was Jiro so scared that he would be punished when he had nothing to do with the betrayal?

6) Why did Jiro hit the horse?  (Remember when Taro kicked the little dog.)

7) Why didn’t Jiro defend himself against Taro when he punched him?

8) What happened at the end of the chapter to indicate that Jiro had been demoted and Taro had been moved up?  Why did this happen?

Chapter 6

1) Who was Katsuyori?  Where did he go in the middle of the night?

2) Who was held at Toko-ji Temple?

3) Why did Katsuyori go to the temple?

4) Do you think the Monk that came out to Taro approved or disapproved of this visit?  What about his body language tells you this?

5) What about Takeda Shingen’s past made Yoshinobu’s punishment seem like hypocrisy?  (hypocrisy: to do something you say someone else shouldn’t do)

Chapter 7

1) What is the real reason Taro wants to learn to read and write and practice Zen?

2) How is practicing Zazen like the sacrament in our church?

3) “…so many Buddhist priests will claim a holiness that they do not possess.  Pride can take refuge in rags and humbleness as well as in silken robes.”  What does this mean?  Do those who claim to practice Zen or Bushido seem to break the rules without punishment or are they always true to what they believe?

4) Who is the different monk at Zazen?  Why does he smack Taro so hard?  Do you think he had something to do with the 2 samurai that harassed Taro?

5) What did the 2 samurai (ronins) threaten to do to Taro if he didn’t forget what he saw/heard at Toko-ji castle?

6) What does Taro tell his master's father about the ronins?

7). Make a prediction:  What do you think is in the letter Taro has been asked to deliver to Lord Akiyama?

Chapter 8

1) What do you learn about the loyalty of people Taro meets along the way to Iida Castle?

Chapter 9

1) Do you think Akiyama views Taro as his own son?  Or do you think Taro is being prideful again, hoping that he will adopt him?

2) What did the messengers take tips and bribes?

3) In the middle of page 68, Yoshitoki talks about Charity.  Compare what he said to the advice Togan gave Taro on page 18 regarding meekness.  How should you give respect and charity so they know you are sincere?

4) What one word would best describe Yoshitoki?

a. wise

b. humble

c. ambitious

d. jolly

Chapter 10

1) Who were the two monks?

2) How did Taro and Yoshitoki escape?

3) After the incident with the monks, why do you think they trusted the old man enough to enter his hut?

Chapter 11

1) Name two predictions made by the strange old man in the hut.

2) Do you think the old man’s predictions will come true?

3) What do Taro and Yoshitoki decide about the old man when they returned to his hut on their way back to Iida Castle?

Chapter 12

1. Why does Taro think his name is embarrassing?

2. Why is Taro jealous of Yoshitoki and why does Toshitoki tell him he is lucky?

2. How does Taro get his family name back?

3. Why does Lord Akiyama give Taro a sword?

Chapter 13

1. Who are the two main warlords competing to become ruler of Japan?

2. How are these rivals different?

3. When Murakami (Taro) talked with Kenmotsu and Yoshitoki about the difference sects of religion, what did you learn about each of their motives, tolerance, and values?  Did either of them believe in freedom of religion?  What did each believe?  And how was Kenmotsu’s motive similar to Murakami’s?

Chapter 14

1. What job is Murakami given after Lord Takeda decided to go to war?

2. Why was Murakami disappointed with his new position?

3. Why was Murakami’s new position actually one of honor?

4. What advice does Yoshitoki give Murakami at the top of p. 98?

5. Do you think Yoshitoki is scared of battle?  Is he scared to die?

Chapter 15

1. How does Murakami punish the thief who stole the rice?

2. Do you think Murakami handled it the best way?  Why or why not?  How likely do you think others will try to steal now?

Chapter 16

1. What does “the sword fits the hand” mean?  (Hint: it’s an idiom.) top of p. 111

2. What happens to the man who disappeared while leading the horse carrying rice to Lord Akiyama?

3. How does Murakami get into a sword fight?

4. Why doesn't the ronin accept Murakami's offer of help?

5. Why does the ronin want Murakami to behead him?

6. Make a prediction:  Murakami refused to behead the ronin.  Will Murakami eventually kill others?

7. Should the ronin have accepted Murakami's offer to bind his wound?

Chapter 17

1. What is in the bag Murakami's captain gives him?

2. How does Murakami gain a new helmet?

3. Why would Lord Takeda Shingen honor the servant (the samurai/ronin) of someone who betrayed him? P. 119

4. Why do you think it would make a man feel victorious when he killed someone in war?  Immediately afterwards, the victorious feeling changes to what?  Why do they say the first man you kill so unforgettable?

5. What castle does Lord Akiyama order his men to besiege? P. 123

Chapter 18

1. Why do they have so many fires?

2. Why did they burn all the villages?

3. What is Murakami's response when one of the samurai offers to buy rice from him?

4. Is Murakami content with his current status in life?  Why or why not.

Chapter 19

1. Who was Lord Toyama and how do Murakami and others learn that he is dead?

 2. To what warlord is Lady Toyama related?

Chapter 20

1. Describe the trap Lord Akiyama sets.

2. It is common to think that women know nothing about military matters, as Murakami says.  So then, why does Kansuke say that Lady Toyama might not take the bait?

3. What role does Murakami have in the trap?

Chapter 21

1. In what ways did Murakami and the commander disagree about the plan?

2. Explain the strategy Murakami used to save his men?

3. On page 152, “But we would not have been important enough to lose our heads,” I replied.  The thought had occurred to me that this must have been the way my own father had lost his life.

   In what way does this indicate Murakami has changed?

4. Why is Murakami afraid that Lord Akiyama would be angry with him?

5.  Make a prediction:  What new responsibilities will Lord Akiyama give Murakami?

6. Why do you think Murakami doesn't want the ronin's head?

Chapter 22

1. Why does Akiyama want to marry Lady Toyama?

2. Who is the sickly young man sitting next to Akiyama at the archery tournament?  How do you think it makes Murakami feel when he learns his identity?

3. How does Lord Akiyama treat his prisoners?

Chapter 23

1. Why does Murakami bring back millet instead of rice?

2. Why is Murakami, again, worried that Lord Akiyama would be angry with him?

3. What does Lord Akiyama ask Murakami about Lord Shingen?

Chapter 24

1. How does Murakami figure out who Aki-hime is, and why does he stare?

2. Does Murakami think he should try to marry Aki-hime, or does he think such a union would be impossible?  Why or why not?

3. Why does Lord Akiyama send a guard to Nagashino Castle before proposing to Lady Toyama?

Chapter 25

1. What is the mood when Murakami arrives at Nagashino Castle?  Why?

2. Why don’t the people respect Katsuyori as much as they did his father?

3. Why do you think Lord Zakoji reveals his "secret"--that he was deaf--to Murakami?

4. For what does Lord Takeda Shingen praise Murakami?

5. What enemy does Takeda Shingen still have that he cannot fight?

6. Make a prediction:  Will Murakami end up with Lord Zakoji's daughter?

Chapter 26

1. Name one obstacle that stands in the way of a match between Aki-hime and Murakami.

Chapter 27

1. When Takeda Shingen died, there was a division over who should rule in his place.  Whom did each group think should rule?

2. What does Lord Zakoji say to Murakami about a match between the samurai and his daughter?  What honor would he bestow upon the samurai and why?

Chapter 28

1. What sort of parties does Lord Akiyama invite Murakami and the other young men to join, for entertainment?  Why does he do this?

2. On pg. 195, Kansuke says “soon after you are married and he has adopted you, you will wish to be the master of his estate…” and Murakami laughs at the truth of the statement.  Do you think Murakami is literally that anxious for Zakoji’s wealth?  If so, do you think Murakami is greedy?  If not, what truth do you think he is referring to?  (hint: see next paragraph.)  Compare this to the advice Zakoji gives at the bottom of the page about ambitions.

3. On the bottom of page 200, when Murakami is trying to protect Kansuke from being sent to the front lines and certain death, what does Akiyama mean when he says “you seem to have an abundance of fathers?”  How does this relate to the analogy in chapter 3 regarding Togan being “like a big stone in a river that forces the water to alter its course?”

Chapter 29

1. What does Lord Zakoji become?  How is his mindset different from that of Akiyama?

2. Who won Takatenjin Castle?  Who won Nagashino?

Chapter 30

1. What happens to Yoshitoki?

2. Whose army puts Iwamura Castle under siege?

3. What dangerous mission does Murakami accept?

Chapter 31

1. How do Lord Akiyama and Murakami differ in their opinions about whether they owe loyalty to Takeda Katsuyori?

2. Who is behind the screen in Lord Akiyama's room--and why does that person sob (p. 215)?

3. Explain what Akiyama meant by the significance of the names Taro and Murakami.

Chapter 32

1. Why does Murakami change his mind and think Katsuyori will not be sending troops to Iwamura Castle?  He hadn’t given a yes or no answer.

Chapter 33

1. How does Murakami find out what Katsuyori’s decision is?  Why didn’t Katsuyori tell Murakami himself?

2. When Murakami stops again at the charcoal burner’s home, what does he learn?

3. Why does Murakami insist on going back to Iwamura Castle?

Chapter 34

1. Why does the charcoal burner advise Murakami to cut his hair?  Why does Murakami refuse?

2. How do Murakami and Aki-hime escape Lord Akiyama's and Lady Toyama's fate?

3. The first chapter of the book is called “in blood we are all born.”  At the end of the book, Murakami says that the saying “in the raging fire of the world, there is no peace” is not completely true.  Compare and contrast these two statements.