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The Sign Of The Chrysanthemum
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Plot Summary of The Sign Of The Chrysanthemum
"Muna and his mother were peasants who lived in a small island village in twelfth century Japan where they toiled hard for the lord of the island. Due to his illegitimacy, Muna had to endure the taunts and disdain of his fellow peasants, which made him determined to find his father, rumored to be an important samurai. After his mother's death, Muna ran away to the capital city of Japan to begin his quest.

During his journey he meets the boisterous yet likable samurai named Takanobu who later claims to be his father. He befriends a gentle sandlemaker and his lovely daughter, and becomes apprenticed to a renowned swordmaker of excellent character. As Muna interacts with these people and struggles to find his own identity, he must decide where his loyalties lie: with his "father" Takanobu, with the sandlemaker's daughter, with his provider and mentor the swordmaker, or only to himself in a determinedly isolated existence."

Katherine Brooks, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of The Sign Of The Chrysanthemum
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Tone of book? - thoughtful
Time/era of story - distant past/middle ages
Inside culture (main char) - Japanese
Internal struggle/realization? Yes
Struggle over - search for family/history
Is this an adult or child's book? - Age 11-14
Outside culture (society) - Japanese
Ethnic/regional/gender life Yes

Main Character
Gender - Male
Age: - a teen
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events? Yes
Ethnicity/Nationality - Japanese
How sensitive is this character? - middling sensitive to others' feelings
Intelligence - Average intelligence
Physique - average physique

Main Adversary
Identity: - none

Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings? - 7 ()
Asia/Pacific Yes
Asian country: - Japan

Style
Person - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - moderately detailed references to deaths
Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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Journey to Topaz by Yoshiko Uchida
Obasan by Joy Kogawa
The Door in the Wall by Marguerite de Angeli


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Katherine Paterson Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
Serena Gutnik  

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