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Heart Of A Samurai

Decent Essays

Heart of a Samurai by Margi Preus is an adventure book that tells the true story of a fourteen year-old Japanese boy, who when fishing is caught in a storm and is whisked away from Japanese waters.
Manjiro is the main character in Heart of a Samurai. He is a young fourteen year-old boy who is trying to support his family by fishing ever since his father died. He goes with four other fishermen to try and get food when he is swept away in a huge storm. Throughout, the story Manjiro is an intelligent boy, who asks many questions about new things. The theme of Heart of a Samurai is relationships. Even from the beginning of the story, Manjiro has at least one type of relationship. In the beginning of the story, Manjiro becomes …show more content…

Meanwhile, they have landed on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. The other fishermen find a home there, while Manjiro decides to go on to live with the captain in Massachusetts. When the captain and Manjiro reach Massachusetts, the captain remarries so that John Mung, Manjiro's American name, can have a normal boyhood. Then on, Manjiro goes to school. Once he learns everything he can in elementary school, he enrolls in the local navigation academy. Manjiro continues to face difficulties because of his race and origin, but he also has an opportunity to fulfill many of his hopes and dreams. Soon, Manjiro starts missing his real family, so in his late teens, Manjiro gets the opportunity to rescue his friends from Oahu and return to Japan, using money he earned when he finds some gold in the California gold rush. Upon their return, the fishermen are instantly imprisoned. Two years later, when they are finally released, Manjiro returns to his village and family. He goes on to work with Japanese and American officials, as a samurai, to foster a relationship between the west and Japan—finally fulfilling one of his long-term dreams, becoming a

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