OP#5

1. I think the ending was a good one because Hideyo finally found Yoko and Ko, and Yoko is happy. It was also cool that Corpral Matsumara found Ko and Yoko and can help them when they need something. It was surprising when Yoko won the essay. I think the only problem that the Kawashima family has to resolve is what happen to their father.

2. I think the Kawshima family keeps their customs because they wanted to honor their heritage and ancestors just as if they were not being attacked. I think it serves a big role in their lives because if they would change their culture and ways it would dishonor what they live for. I would still observe the same beliefs as I have for all the years before that, for example I would still like sports, ice cream, I would still be Christian and practice my religious beliefs.

3. The character I admire and respect the most is Hideyo because, during the end of the story when he was about to die he somehow made it to the house and got saved. Then when he was about to cross the 8th parallel he just went with no bad thought of dying and he made it to Ko and Yoko, so I thought he was being very strong. Also when the Koreans attacked the warehouse he played dead when he could have died and he watched his friend die, and that was brave.

4.In this novel the countries that had power fought Japan and fought for Korea. They called it the cold war, because of the bombs. During some parts of the story the Kawshima family encountered the Koreans. During one part of the story the Koreans and the Kawashima family(not including Hideyo) meet and the Koreans are about to take them in, or kill them but the American bombers let a bomb lose and it kills the soldiers, so it saved the Kawashima family from dying. The reason why all of this happened is because their father was a Japanese official. I want to know, is there still a Korean Communits army against the Japanese?

5. In this story I found that humans can be very heartless and that war changes everything. I
think the theme(s) is to show what families went through during this time of the war and to also show the impact and devastation it has on lives. Ithink the other theme is that you should never give up and you can live through hard times.

OP#3

12-10-07
1.a. Ko, Yoko, and their mother feel they have to leave Korea and/or specifically, the train station in Pusan because the Korean communists kept raping the girls at the train station, because they were lonely. If they would have stayed they would be next. For example when the lonely communists felt Ko's chest because if she would have been a girl, she would have got raped.

1.b. My opinion on Yoko and the rest of the family leaving Hideyo was kind of messed up, but smart because, when Hideyo gets to Seoul he will find the note that tells him to go to pusan. Then when he gets their he will have to get a boat to Japan. It's smart because if they would have stayed they would soon be discovered that their girls and the lonely soldiers will rape them, they also couldn't live off trash forever.

2. If you were in the Kawashima families shoes, would you leave Hideyo. Why? Why not?

OP#2

12-5-07

1. So far Hideo's is very courageous and honorable person. He is a person that cares a lot for his people. Hideo showed his courage by getting his friends out of major trouble when Russian soldiers came by, and talked to them. Hideo views himself as the head of the family ; he thinks that it is his position because his father is gone. In the book it says that Hideo is in charge of the household countless numbers of times .

2. If I were to leave my home like the Kawashima family did, the certain items I would bring food. The type of food. I would bring would bring things that I didn't have to warm up like crackers, fruit, dried meats,water, and veggies. The next thing I would bring would be fresh clothes. The type of clothes I would bring would be pants, shorts, shirts/jacket, and fresh boxers. The last thing i would bring would be personal items like pictures of family, wallets, birthday cards from family, and a phone that has service.

3. The part of the story that upset or shocked me the most is when Hideo's friends left him by himself to go to Seoul when it was really far away; I thought that was messed up. I also thought it was shocking when Yoko, her mom, and Ko left the station and hoped that Hideo would find their note and meet them at their new destination even though they could have waited. Even though these things have happened the book is really good overall.

Op#1

In this story Yoko's character is interesting and also stubborn. During the first three chapters, Yoko is very focused on her work. She also likes to complain about her extra work. During this story Yoko whines about eating carrots; and that shows her complaining. Overall Yoko is an interesting character.

The relationship so far in this story between Yoko and Ko, is an okay relationship. Yoko calls Ko bossy because Ko tells Yoko what to do all the time, and Yoko does not like being told what to do by her sister. In the story Ko makes Yoko cross the bridge even though Yoko wanted to swim, and Yoko told her mother that Ko was bossy.



In the story, the Kawashima family acted very generous to the people on the train. They gave some of the patients food and water when they needed it; Yoko also gave her blanket to a mother with her newborn-baby. The way the Kawashima's handled the patients, showed their generosity for the people on the train and also their understanding for the patients. For example when Yoko gave food and water to the pregnant women, because she didn't have anything , it was very nice of her.