57 pages • 1 hour read
Katsu Kokichi, Transl. Teruko Craig, Illustr. Hiroshige UtagawaMusui's Story
Nonfiction | Autobiography / Memoir | Adult | Published in 1843A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Essay Topics
Japan in the late Edo period was a rigidly structured, class-based society virtually without social mobility. What evidence does the author provide for the societal hierarchy and the interaction between the different classes? How did the author try to bypass this hierarchy? What do you think about the way that Japanese society functioned?
Describe the gender norms in Japan during the late Edo period by using the evidence that the author provides.
The author’s purpose for writing his autobiography is to use himself as a negative example for his descendants to set them on a righteous path. Considering his less-than-perfect lifestyle, do you believe the author is equipped to administer such advice? Use textual evidence to answer this question.
Most chapters in the contemporary publication of Musui’s Story are accompanied by a thematic illustration from the late Edo period. What role do these illustrations play? How do they help contextualize the narrative?
What role do Japanese religions, Buddhism and Shinto, play in Musui’s Story? Use at least three examples from the book as supporting evidence.
What are the benefits and drawbacks of using an autobiography to understand the events of the past?
In Musui’s Story, women usually remain in the background and sometimes are omitted altogether. What can you piece together about the status and role of women in Japan in the late Edo period?
What makes Musui’s Story an important historical document? How does this autobiography help present-day readers understand a different culture and society at a different time in history?
The samurais were one of the key social classes used for the proper functioning of the Tokugawa shogunate. What does the reader learn about the life of these warriors from Misui’s Story?
By using textual evidence, describe the author’s familial relationships with his family of origin, his adoptive family, and his wife and children. What can we learn about the author based on these relationships?
