1. What are the main conflicts in the story? who do they involve? who wins? who loses? why? what might this tell us about the main theme of the novel?
2. what is the importance of the historical setting of the novel? how does tarumi both reflect and deflect what is going on in the wider world outside it?
3. why does tsukiyama choose stephen to narrate the story? who does the main story involve? how is stephen connected to this story? are there other narrators? who?
4. why does the novel masquerade as a diary? why is the story broken into sections titled with the seasons? why does it begin in autumn?
5. the title is made up of a main symbol, the garden, and an important image, the samurai. in the former lies the concept of peace, but in the latter, one of war. how do these opposing ideas play out in the novel?
2. what is the importance of the historical setting of the novel? how does tarumi both reflect and deflect what is going on in the wider world outside it?
3. why does tsukiyama choose stephen to narrate the story? who does the main story involve? how is stephen connected to this story? are there other narrators? who?
4. why does the novel masquerade as a diary? why is the story broken into sections titled with the seasons? why does it begin in autumn?
5. the title is made up of a main symbol, the garden, and an important image, the samurai. in the former lies the concept of peace, but in the latter, one of war. how do these opposing ideas play out in the novel?