I selected The Breaking Jewel as one of my assigned readings so I could evaluate its usefulness in my classes. I teach World Cultures, Holocaust, and US Military History at Hamburg Area High School. I believe The Breaking Jewel can be used effectively in Military History classes at the high school level.
The Breaking Jewel provides the reader with an alternative view of World War II in the Pacific to which the Western reader is accustomed. Written from the Japanese point of view, the Battle of Peleliu is far different than the one depicted in American accounts from World War II. Rather than depicting the liberation of a conquered island, The Breaking Jewel provides the reasoning behind the “banzai charge,” where honor and bravery are exhibited by making the ultimate sacrifice – one’s self – to defend the Empire.
But it doesn’t stop there. The book also illustrates the different viewpoints and treatment of Japanese and Korean soldiers. This not only illustrates the hierarchical makeup of the Japanese Empire, but also relates to discrimination and prejudice found in other cultures, allowing the reader to relate this to society, as well as war. I believe The Breaking Jewel will be useful in both a Military History class and a survey course that includes World War II.
(not verified)
15 November 2010
Review
