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7. Autumn: October 8, 1937
Themes
and Colors
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Samurai’s Garden, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Time, Nature, and Continuity
External Beauty vs. Internal Strength
Shame, Honor and Survival
Political vs. Personal Allegiance
Loneliness, Loss, and Memory
Summary
Analysis
In the days after visiting Sachi, the awkwardness with Matsu melts away—and when Stephen asks to see Sachi again, Matsu is touched, joking that Sachi needs to see another face besides his own. When Stephen compliments Matsu’s “strong” appearance, saying he looks “like a samurai,” Matsu shrugs it off, scoffing that he is a “monster.” Privately, Stephen wonders if Matsu loves Sachi, and if Sachi loves him back.
Matsu’s insecurity about his appearance perhaps hints at the same youthful heartbreak Stephen’s dad referenced—an episode Stephen now seems to associate with Sachi. In this context, the mention of the titular samurai (Japanese soldiers known for their military prowess and their strict codes of honor) suggests an important juxtaposition between external beauty and internal strength.
Active
Themes
The next day, Stephen decides to paint the garden, noting how comfortable Matsu feels there; this carefully landscaped ecosystem must be “a world with secrets.” The oil paints have arrived from Kobe, and Stephen throws himself into his work with a fervor. Thrilled to see Stephen working so hard, Matsu gives him a pair of unused paintbrushes, explaining that Stephen’s grandfather bought them years ago.
Active
Themes
