bedtime story
After reading Mitsuye Yamada’s Bedtime Story, I feel like I do “get it”. In my opinion the point of the story is to try and get a message out to the readers. I think the message is when one door closes another door opens. As read in the passage an old Japanese woman was walking around many small villages seeking a place to rest for the night. Everyone opened their doors to the elderly woman but denied her a place to stay for the night. After having no success with the people of the villages she decided to rest at the top of a hill, while resting the elderly woman saw a beautiful sight of the full moon. While standing at the top of this hill, the elderly woman shouted in “supplication” to the village thanking them for denying her a place to rest for the night. If they had not refused her request, she would have not been able to witness this beautiful night sky. I feel that the point of the story is to give us a sense of appreciation. Even though the elderly woman was denied a place to rest for the night, she was extremely grateful for being on that hilltop and witnessing a full moon. Once she sees the feel moon I feel as she no longer feels the need for a bed or a place to rest for the night because she now feels safe and comforted and safe by the natural beauty of mother nature. The elderly woman at this point must feel thankful for her natural surroundings. I would say that the old woman is now feeling a certain kind of peace or gratitude within her. I think that both papa and the narrator are telling the story to show the problems or conflicts in the world back then and the world today. The young child who lives in a hilltop home in Seattle probably doesn’t fully understand how thankful/grateful the elderly woman is for witnessing a full moon and the top of the hill which is why the young child said “that’s the end?”. At the same time there is also a similarity between the young child and the old woman. Both of time have a sense of peace,