Reference
Sharen Pula (The Park School of Baltimore) 5th Grade Subjects taught: Literature, Writing, History, Mathematics, Science, Poetry, Architecture, (The Medieval World)
Twenty-Four Eyes
Hisaka Oishi is a young teacher, about to begin a stint at a remote village school, a stint that is to last only a year until she can be properly assigned to the main school. At first sighting, she is viewed with suspicion as she peddles her way to school on her bicycle dressed in Western looking clothing. On the first morning, she enters the classroom and unleashes her desire to connect with her new pupils (first graders). At the end of the first day, she has committed each child’s nickname to memory, connected each child to the work that his or her parents do, and has been a good sport about their mischievous deeds. One day while at the beach singing silly songs with her pupils, Ms. Oishi is lured into a trap in the sand that some of her students created. Falling, she breaks her Achilles’ tendon and must stop teaching since her only way to get from home to school is to ride her bicycle. The students have never had such a teacher that cared in the same way as Ms. Oishi. Distraught, they decide to venture far from their homes and visit her. They finally arrive, tired and hungry and a bit out of sorts. When they see Ms. Oishi, she greets them warmly (She doesn’t blame them for her misfortune.) and takes them into her house. She feeds them and asks a neighbor to snap a souvenir photo of the group. She places them on a boat for a short, safe return trip home. As the years pass by, she continues to involve herself in their lives. Over time, the students grow to admire, respect and love her.
The years pass. Ms. Oishi, aware of rising conservatism, and limiting of free expression, retires from teaching. World War II arrives. Many of the young men, once her pupils, are encouraged (coerced) into joining the War. Many will become kamikaze pilots and will most likely lose their lives. Even Ms. Oishi’s husband, though of ill health, has had to join “the cause”. He dies, as do some of her former pupils. Political and economic forces affect the life of those still living—poverty and sickness are on the rise. In addition, Ms. Oishi’s son, Daikichi, is eager to joint the Juvenile Air Corps and is ashamed of his mother’s pacifist’s views. Amid this tension, Ms. Oishi returns to teaching and has a reunion with the remainder of her first year pupils. She even ends up teaching the children of some of her first pupils.
The language is archaic—translations tend to have difficulty capturing the richness of the original language. This one suffers from this. Although the arc of the narrative for the first half of the book is a bit slow, on a second reading, it didn’t drag as much. It certainly does give the reader some insight into the lifestyle of a small Japanese community in the 1920’s and 1930’s.
I would not use this book with 5th grade students. Although many of them could read it, I don’t think it is dramatic in a way that children respond to. If I were teaching older students, I would focus on the following themes and questions: Fear/courage, propaganda/war (governmental manipulation of young people then and now—“The ultimate goal and infinite honor for a youth was to fall in battle”. –similar to extreme Islamic indoctrination—give yourself to the cause and paradise awaits.), pacifism/war. Some questions for consideration-- What happens when a teacher’s values are different from family values? How, as a teacher, do you get your students to trust and respect you? (Think about the power a teacher can possess. If that power is used to connect with the hearts and minds of the students (as with Ms. Oishi), it can so validate their existence.) What are the effects of positive expectations? From a student’s perspective, what do they look for in the adults they deal with?
I might have the students research the themes above. Have them create their own working definitions. Have them debate both sides of the argument—perhaps thinking about their own lives in school and how these issues play out.
I might have them make 3-D projects addressing their perspective of each pair of ideas. They could think about symbolism and how it might be used to convey their point of view.
