TanMavis_LiteraryAnalysis
Blossom of Humanistic Qualities with Hope: A Theme and Historical Analysis on “The Cherry Tree” by Daisaku Ikeda Mavis Tan Nanyang Technological University
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Blossom of Humanistic Qualities with Hope: A Theme and Historical Analysis on “The Cherry Tree” by Daisaku Ikeda The Cherry Tree by Daisaku Ikeda is a picture book that tells a story of the importance of hope, exhibited through the humanistic qualities possessed by the characters in overcoming the suffering and pain in post-World War II (WWII), Japan. Hope is a source of motivation for the characters in the story to move on in life with a positive attitude after war ended. Like the cherry tree in the story which blossomed after enduring many bitter cold winters, hope can be manifested as humanistic qualities in especially trying times. To support my stand, I will be exploring these three themes in my literary analysis: (I) creativity and hope helps in confronting suffering; (II) accomplishing a task requires patience, commitment and hope; (III) adults with wisdom, strength and hope inspire children. In addition, I will be using the historical approach (Russell, 2008b) to examine how the author’s background may have influenced his intentions in writing a story inspired by a historical event. Also, I will examine the role of Japanese culture in The Cherry Tree. Lastly, I will conclude if The Cherry Tree is an example of good historical realism (Russell, 2008a), and if it could benefit young minds. Confront Suffering with Creativity and Hope Hope and creativity seem to be important in confronting the pain and suffering during post-war, and the manifestation of such qualities helped the characters to face reality with a positive attitude. The child protagonists in The Cherry Tree, Taichi and Yumiko, despite having to confront the pain of losing their home and father, tried to be positive and did not sink into self-pity and despair. They remained cheerful and hopeful by engaging in creative pretend play with other children. “What if there was only a heap of rubbish and rubble to play on? If they pretended hard enough it was a
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mountain, an island, a galleon, a castle” (Ikeda, 1991, pg. 3). Through play, they may have learnt to react to their situation with hope and to deal with negative thoughts using creativity. As a result, these children may have developed resilience in the adverse circumstances. Although the cherry tree seemed wounded and bare, the old man continued to hope for it to bloom. I see the act of wrapping the tree with straw matting a form of creativity, which at first instance, even Taichi and Yumiko thought was odd. In other words, without creativity and hope, the old man may not have had the inspiration and motivation to care for the tree. “People came from all around to see the tree in blossom. ‘I remember it now!’ said one. ‘It used to blossom like this before the war but I’d given up hope of ever seeing it blossom again.’ ‘Oh, you should never give up hope,’ said Yumiko and Taichi” (Ikeda, 1991, pg. 21). The old man’s positive attitude may not only help him to face the harsh reality of post-war, but his unceasing effort may have offered hope for the whole village. Accomplishment with Patience, Commitment, and Hope Nothing can be accomplished through half-hearted efforts or when one loses patience. Having found meaning in a task, the characters of the story followed through their endeavor with patience and commitment. Taichi and Yumiko were first introduced in the story as spending time playing with other children. When they met the old man who told them of his efforts in protecting the cherry tree, and his hopes of seeing the cherry tree blossom, they were slightly skeptical. With the encouragement and assurance of their mother, they learnt to be hopeful, and committed their days to caring for the cherry tree before and through winter. “Yumiko and Taichi left their snowman, left their snowballing and climbed up and tenderly brushed the snow away” (Ikeda, 1991, pg. 13). It is easy for children to lose patience because they tend to seek
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instant gratification, but Taichi and Yumiko developed commitment and patience through taking personal responsibility in caring for the cherry tree. They eventually witnessed the fruit of their labor— the cherry tree blossomed in spring! Taichi and Yumiko seemed to have gone through a developmental transformation after taking pride in a task which they followed through till the end. To follow through a task requires patience and time. For an aged person who may not have much time left alive, the old man was truly patient. “But one day – with a little kindness and patience – one day! Not in my lifetime perhaps, but one day! I’m certain of it…” (Ikeda, 1991, pg. 5) His patience was not limited to this lifetime, but beyond. This spirit of patience and conviction could very much be a manifestation of great hope for the future. Adults with Wisdom, Strength, and Hope Inspire Children Mother’s wisdom and love for her children were shown through her simple yet profound words, “It never hurts to hope… Perhaps you could help the old man” (Ikeda, 1991, pg. 8). Despite the pain she experienced from losing her husband in the war, Mother picked herself up for the sake of her children and worked hard to earn some money. She did not seem to show signs of weakness and defeat in front of Taichi and Yumiko; instead, she supported and encouraged them, and taught them the importance of hope in facing what seemed to be impossible to achieve. It was wise of the old man to recognize the importance of caring for nature, and to prepare the cherry tree for the cold winter. He exhibited wisdom by wrapping the tree with straw, so as to prevent the sickly tree from being damaged by the cold temperature and winds during winter. As a result, the old man not only taught Taichi and Yumiko the art and skill of tree-wrapping, but inspired them to care for nature.
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The old man possessed such fine wisdom and mental strength, that Taichi and Yumiko regarded him as a good friend, and possibly a role model. Evaluation with Historical Approach Post-war Japan was plagued with social problems and people were struggling to recover from the pain of losing their homes and loved ones. However, The Cherry Tree focused less on the gloomy atmosphere of post-war and more on the desire and hope in the people to re-build their homes and lives. This intention might be hinted in the illustration of the picture book. When a reader takes a first look at the cover, it is highly impossible that he will associate the book with a story in a post-war setting. Instead of using greyish and dark tones to depict the sombre mood of the post-war period, contrasting and bright colours were used; even the heap of rubble and rubbish the children played on were colourful. Keeping this in mind, I believed that the author had little intention of criticising the war and the political situation in Japan during post-war, and had a stronger intention to tell a story of hope and perseverance. Therefore, I will evaluate the themes in The Cherry Tree using a historical approach in relation to the author’s background, experience, and culture. Post war Japan suffered, and as mentioned in The Cherry Tree, homes were ruined and families broken. The common people had to pay for the mistakes of the military government. The author, Daisaku Ikeda, experienced WWII when he was a teenager and witnessed the cruelty of war, which also cost the life of his eldest brother. “His family, like most other Japanese families, was devastated, spiritually and materially. Their home was twice destroyed in air raids and at one point he and his parents lived in a makeshift shelter constructed over a bomb crater” (Early Life, para. 4). Despite having developed "a deep hatred for war, its cruelty, stupidity and waste" (Ikeda, 1996), the author remained objective in his writing of The Cherry Tree.
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Like the characters in the story, Ikeda’s family remained close-knitted and strong after the war ended. In The Cherry Tree, Mother lost her husband and her heart was broken. These words could accurately describe the broken hearts of mothers during and after the war. Ikeda (2005) wrote, “The families left behind were praised for their sacrifice as 'military mothers'--a term deemed to carry high honor. But in reality what a devastating tumult of pain, grief and misery swirled in the depths of their hearts! A mother's love, a mother's wisdom, is too great to be fooled by such empty phrases as ‘for the sake of the nation.’” The author’s mother, who remained strong for her children despite experiencing her pain of losing her eldest son to the war, may have been a great source of inspiration in his description of Mother in The Cherry Tree. Ikeda often mentioned the positive attitude his mother possessed even during trying situations, and deeply respects her for being an ordinary but great woman (Ikeda, 2004). The cherry blossom tree has symbolic significance in Japanese culture and history. Like the villagers in The Cherry Tree who gathered around the cherry tree which blossomed in spring, Japan has a historical culture of hanami, or flower viewing, when people will gather during spring to appreciate the beauty of the cherry blossom flowers. The cherry blossom also symbolises the transience of life because of its short-lived beauty. During WWII, the military government made used of the transient nature of the cherry blossom to symbolise death, and to evoke a sense of nationalism in the Japanese people to support their war efforts, using the motto “Gallantly (give your lives) like scattering blossoms” (Ikeda, n.d., para. 6). Unlike the dreadful symbol the military government gave to the cherry blossoms, Daisaku Ikeda loved cherry blossoms because they represented the blooming of happiness, the richness of life and a strong and persevering spirit (Ikeda, n.d.). The importance of the
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cherry tree in Japanese culture and the significance of the flower to the author may have contributed to story of The Cherry Tree. Conclusion In this analysis, I have explored and evaluated three themes of The Cherry Tree by Daisaku Ikeda. Firstly, hope and creativity help individuals to confront trying situations. Secondly, accomplishment comes with patience, commitment, and hope. Lastly, adults with wisdom, strength, and hope serve as an inspiration for children. The themes were skillfully intertwined in the plot and exhibited by the characters. Through the manifestation of the humanistic qualities possessed by the characters, readers may learn the importance of hope. The author’s background, experience, and culture contributed largely to his writing of a story set in post-war Japan. At the same time, The Cherry Tree seems to have fulfilled the criteria of a story of historical realism (Russell, 2007a), such as the “plot is fresh and original and grows naturally out of the historical period”, and the “writer’s theme grows naturally out of the action and characters” in during the historical event (Russell, 2007a, pg. 248). I believe The Cherry Tree is a worthy read for the young, sharing with them the importance of possessing positive attitudes when facing challenges, and to care for the environment. Adults might benefit from the story as well, such as the importance of being an inspiring role model for children, and an opportunity to remind ourselves of the cruelty of war and for mankind to not repeat his mistakes. Like anyone could enjoy the blossom of cherry trees, I believe anyone can grow to love and enjoy this picture book.
TanMavis_LiteraryAnalysis References Early Life. (n.d.). In Daisaku Ikeda: Buddhist philosopher, peacebuilder and educator. Retrieved April 10, 2009, from http://www.daisakuikeda.org/main/profile/bio/bio-02.html Ikeda, D. (1991). The cherry tree. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Ikeda, D. (1996, June 16). SGI President Ikeda’s lecture at Columbia University. Seikyo Shimbun, pp. 2. Ikeda, D. (2004). A piece of mirror and other essays. Malaysia: Soka Gakkai Malaysia. Ikeda, D. (2005, August 9). The power of empathy. Japan Times, pp. 18. Ikeda, D. (n.d.). Cherry blossoms on a pond. Retrieved April 10, 2009, from http://daisakuikeda.org/sub/nature/nat-essays/nat-13.html Russell, D. L. (2008a). Contemporary and historical realism. In Literature for children: A short introduction (6th ed.), (pp. 235-251). New Jersey: Allyn & Bacon. Russell, D. L. (2008b). The study of literature. In Literature for children: A short introduction (6th ed.), (pp. 42-59). New Jersey: Allyn & Bacon.
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