The Big Wave

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 1947

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools

Beta

Discussion Questions

Chapter 3Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 3 Summary

Kino laments that Jiya will never be happy again. His father assures him that this is not true: Jiya will grieve, but after some time, he will begin to eat, think, and live again. He will never forget his family; instead, he will “accept their death as part of his life [...] He will carry them in his memory and his thoughts. His flesh and blood are part of them. So long as he is alive, they, too, will live in him” (25). Kino exclaims that it is cruel for the sky to be so clear and the ocean so peaceful after the destruction the wave caused. However, Kino’s father says that the opposite is true. The calm after the storm is wonderful because the wave has made the preciousness of life clearer.

Jiya wakes and Kino’s mother coaxes him into eating some soup. Kino’s father explains that they will be his family now if he wishes it. Jiya does not respond but walks out to stare at the ocean. To comfort him, Setsu offers him her pet duck and holds his hand. Jiya stays quiet, imagining the bodies of his family in the waves.

For days, Jiya sleeps often and barely speaks. Kino’s father says that he is not ready to live yet and that they must be patient. Kino asks if they are unlucky to live in Japan, with the volcano behind them and the ocean in front of them. Kino’s father says that living amid danger helps them learn not to fear death. He adds that death is a gateway and that people only fear it because they do not know what is on the other side; however, they eventually realize how unnecessary their fear was.

Later, the Old Gentleman visits while Jiya sleeps. He has heard that Jiya is handsome, intelligent, and dutiful. Such a good son would be a credit to his name, and he would like to adopt him. He can give him wealth, a comfortable home, and the best education that money can buy. Kino’s father says that Jiya must decide for himself and promises to send him to speak with the Gentleman. Kino objects, not wishing to lose Jiya’s companionship, but his father reminds him that they are poor farmers and says that it would be selfish to deny Jiya this chance. When Jiya wakes, Kino’s father explains the offer and sends Jiya and Kino to the castle to see what manner of life he could have.

Jiya and Kino are struck by the castle’s size and grandeur. The walled gardens are beautiful and the house large, with “polished wood” walls and rooms filled with flowers, art, and grand furniture. A servant leads the boys to the Old Gentleman. He is dignified, tall, and thin; his hair and beard are white, and he wears fine robes. He is writing as they approach, and he stops to show them the scroll. It reads: “The Children of God are very dear, but very queer—Very nice, but very narrow” (42). He explains that it is a quote from an Indian man whom he admires, but he adds that all people are the children of God.

Then the Old Gentleman asks Jiya for his decision. Jiya politely refuses the offer. The Old Gentleman explains that Kino’s family is very poor and that he will have a much better life and education in the castle. He might even be permitted to bring Kino to visit on occasion. Jiya asks why the Old Gentleman does not offer to adopt any of the other surviving orphans, and the Gentleman says with some anger that he does not want the others because Jiya is the “best boy in the village” (44). Again, Jiya refuses.

Kino and Jiya walk back to the farm, where Setsu awaits them. She runs up to Jiya with a laugh and hugs him. Jiya finds solace in Setsu’s lively presence.

Chapter 3 Analysis

In Chapter 3, the plot centers primarily on Jiya’s recovery, aided by Kino’s family. Here, the third major theme, The Power of Resilience, emerges from conversations between Kino’s father and Kino, as well as through Jiya’s characterization. This theme is best encapsulated by Kino’s father’s statement that “life is always stronger than death” (24). As he explains to his son, Jiya will grieve, but eventually he will heal and learn to live again. Jiya’s ability to grieve and heal depends partly on the support he receives from those around him, including Kino’s mother, who feeds him and encourages him to rest, Kino’s father, who supports him both emotionally and materially, and even Kino’s little sister, who makes him smile.

However, Jiya’s healing process also relies heavily on The Acceptance of Impermanence and Death as natural parts of life. Kino’s father argues that this will help Jiya see the good as well as the bad, saying, “[E]very day of life is more valuable now than it was before the storm” (26). In other words, the very fact of life’s impermanence is what gives it value and joy. Moreover, the fact that all things are transient means that the bad passes as well as the good. Buck’s choice of a tsunami as the mechanism for destroying the village underscores this point, as waves by their nature crest and then recede.

The wisdom, patience, and empathy of Kino’s father contrast with the traits of the Old Gentleman, who, though generous, is less patient. Expanding on his communal obligations, the Old Gentleman offers to adopt Jiya. However, this is not only an act of kindness but also a matter of personal pride: Jiya is the most handsome and most intelligent boy in the community, and the Old Gentleman believes that Jiya will be a credit to his family name and a worthy successor. Moreover, when Jiya and Kino visit him, it becomes clear that he does not understand the full meaning of community support. His support is only material; he offers shelter, wealth, and education. He does not understand the emotional, loving support Jiya receives from Kino’s family and therefore cannot comprehend why Jiya would choose a poor farmer over him. When Jiya and Kino leave, the Old Gentleman is irritated and decides that if he cannot adopt the “best boy,” he will not adopt at all. This demonstrates a selfishness that starkly contrasts with Kino’s father’s unselfish desire that Jiya should choose what is best for himself.

While novels for young readers often make their points explicitly, the episode in the Old Gentleman’s castle contains an understated allusion in the form of the scroll the man is writing on as the boys arrive. Though the narrative describes him as “writing,” this would have been calligraphy, a revered art form in Japan and China. He explains that the quote comes from “a man of India” (42). This is a real quote from Sundar Singh, an Indian man who converted to Christianity and became a respected missionary in Southeast Asia. Some Japanese people did convert to Christianity, starting as far back as the arrival of the first Portuguese missionaries in the 1500s. However, as an older Japanese man from a wealthy and ancient feudal family, the Old Gentleman would almost certainly not have been Christian, but a combination of Buddhist and Shinto, the two oldest religions in Japan.