35 pages • 1 hour read
Pearl S. BuckA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
As time passes, Jiya remains with Kino’s family, learning to be a farmer. He and Kino grow together into strong young men. Likewise, Setsu grows into a joyful, mischievous, pretty young woman who teases her brother and often makes Jiya laugh.
For many years, no one returns to the empty beach where the village once stood. Those who survived live near the castle and travel outside their lands to fish in other waters. Eventually, however, some remember how deep the water near their beach was and how plentiful the fishing is. One day, Kino and Jiya see people building on the beach. They are shocked that some are rebuilding their family’s houses by the water. They rush down to ask what is happening, and one man explains that they are tired of living on the Old Gentleman’s land: They wish to own their own homes again and fish in the waters that their ancestors fished in. Kino asks what they will do if another big wave comes and how they will protect their children, but the men say that there may never be another big wave in their lifetimes. Even if there is, one came in their grandfathers’ time, and their fathers rebuilt, and now it is their turn to rebuild what their fathers lost.
Kino does not understand, but Jiya is thoughtful. Over time, he has learned to live with the loss of his family. He works hard on the farm and appreciates life. Because the big wave was so cruel, he is exceptionally kind. Still, he is sometimes lonely and sad, only finding joy when Setsu teases him or does something to make him laugh. Now, he also longs to return to the sea.
As they watch the men build, the Old Gentleman comes down from his castle, clutching his staff and speaking angrily. He calls the men foolish for leaving the safety of his castle. He has tried his whole life to “save foolish people from the big wave” and is angry that they refuse his protection (50). Jiya says that this is still their home, no matter how dangerous it is. Furthermore, the castle would not be safe either if an earthquake shook it hard enough. Echoing something Kino’s father once said, Jiya adds that life in Japan is inherently precarious but promotes courage. Still angry but resigned, the Old Gentleman walks away.
That evening, Jiya announces that he wants to buy a boat and fish again. Kino’s father agrees that now that Jiya is a man, he will earn wages for his farm work. Once Jiya has earned enough, he buys a boat. Kino is still afraid of the deep water but says nothing, not wishing to spoil Jiya’s joy.
Then Jiya says he will build a new house on the land where his father’s house once stood. He asks Kino if Setsu would be brave enough to live by the ocean. Confused, Kino asks why, and Jiya explains that he wishes to marry Setsu but fears she will not live by the water with him. Kino cannot understand why anyone would want to marry his silly little sister, but Jiya says, “[S]he makes me laugh [...] It is she who made me forget the big wave. For me—she is life” (54).
In the summer, Jiya and Setsu marry. Setsu remains “mischievous” even on the day of her wedding. After they are wed, they move to the house Jiya has built, and Kino and his father visit. Kino is still afraid of what will happen if another big wave comes. To allay his fears, Jiya pulls back a panel in the wall to reveal a large opening that looks out over the ocean. He says, “I have opened my house to the ocean [...]. If ever the big wave comes back, I shall be ready. I face it. I am not afraid” (57). Satisfied, Kino and his father walk home.
The final section of the novella explores Jiya’s healing process, facilitated by time and by the support of Kino and his family. As he grows, Jiya exemplifies The Power of Resilience the novella associates with the Japanese people. Though Jiya is forever changed by his trauma, becoming a serious young man who does not laugh or speak with careless ease, he does not allow his loss and grief to make him bitter or fearful. Instead, he learns from his experiences to become “the kindest and most gentle man that Kino had ever seen” (49). Furthermore, just as Kino’s father predicted, his love of life is stronger than his fear of death, which inspires him to rebuild a house on the beach and face dangers as they come. His marriage to Setsu has symbolic significance, as Jiya views her as “life itself”; thus, she helps him rediscover joy and laughter and makes him feel “whole and real” (49). Jiya’s relationship with Setsu also underscores that the support of those around him is an important part of his healing and resilience.
The Importance of Community resonates on a broader scale as well. The villagers who survived the big wave have spent the intervening years living on the Old Gentleman’s property, an example of his fulfillment of his communal duties. However, there is an underlying attitude of patriarchal control beneath his actions, which he reveals when he storms angrily onto the beach. Though the villagers are grateful for the Old Gentleman’s support, they decided to come together as a community of fishermen to rebuild the village. This demonstrates both the stoic bravery of the individual fishermen and their pride in their community. The call to reclaim their livelihoods and their traditions is stronger than their fear of death.
This also represents the culmination of the theme of The Acceptance of Impermanence and Death. As Jiya says when he reveals his window overlooking the water, if one faces danger without fear, one can be ready for whatever comes. Jiya expresses a similar sentiment when talking to the Old Gentleman: “This is our home. Dangerous as it is, [...] it is here we were born” (50). He adds, “[T]here is no refuge for us who live on these islands. We are brave because we must be” (51). His words echo those of Kino’s father, and as with all the philosophical wisdom that Kino’s father imparts throughout the novella, they encapsulate some of the deepest beliefs of both Shinto and Buddhism. Shinto, an ancient religious tradition native to Japan, teaches that all aspects of nature contain an animating spirit. The ocean and the volcano, for example, are active participants in the world who grow angry and send destruction to human beings. Buddhism, a tradition transplanted from India through transmission from China, is the religion from which Japanese beliefs regarding impermanence stem. Both religions give rise to what the novella suggests is the distinctly Japanese ethos of stoicism in the face of danger and death.
By Pearl S. Buck