Seventeen Syllables
Living a bicultural life is an important theme in the story "Seventeen Syllables," by Hisaye Yamamoto. One of the main characters, Rosie, is often in conflict with her mother, Tome Hayashi. Rosie is experiencing living under two different cultures, while Tome is only used to living in one. The conflict of culture between the mother and the daughter, therefore, is important in shaping both of their personalities and in helping one to understand why they behave the way they do towards each other. A generation gap is clearly evident between Rosie and Tome in the story. Rosie was born and resides in the United States, whereas her mother was born and raised in Japan. This implies that Rosie is living in the second generation and experiencing both the American culture and the Japanese culture. When Rosie goes to school, she is more Americanized. She enjoys performing excerpts from many American movies for her friend Chizuko. This helps one to understand for her lack of interest in learning or understanding haiku when she is home with her mother. On the other hand, Tome spent most of her youth immersed in the Japanese culture. At the age of 18, the man she loved was given an arranged marriage to another woman. "...a
There is a very big difference between a teenage daughter and an experienced mother, and this goes on in all cultures. She has conversations with her relatives and friends about them, and more importantly, she wins a prize for writing one. An example of this is when Tome asked Rosie if she understood the haiku she was writing. This mistake, and Rosie's way of "obeying" her mother, has gotten in the way of her happiness. This is clearly seen in the beginning of the story. She believes that she can protect her daughter from having the same experience by asking Rosie not to marry. "English lay ready on the tongue but Japanese had to be searched for and examined. She is more comfortable with it because it is something that she applies to her everyday life, whether it is speaking, writing, or acting. In conclusion, cultural conflict is an issue that carries along many factors. The major difference between the two is that instead of becoming an American writer, which may force her to adapt more to the English language, Tome chooses to stick to writing haiku, a poem that originated in Japan. This "give and take" relationship that is revealed in the end of the story is the key factor for the lack of understanding between Rosie Hayashi and Tome Hayashi. Perhaps the biggest conflict that arises between Rosie and Tome is the conflict between a mother and a daughter.
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