A Daughter of the Samurai · Chapter
The White Cow explained
Etsu-bo prepares to return to America with her daughters, Hanano and Chiyo, after a family council grants her request.
What happens
Etsu-bo prepares to return to America with her daughters, Hanano and Chiyo, after a family council grants her request. Before leaving Japan, she takes the children to Nagaoka to visit their grandmother's grave, witnessing the modernization of the town. They then visit Sister's mountain village, where Sister tells the legend of the white cow, linking Etsu-bo's soul to a faithful animal. The chapter also recounts an amusing visit from a wealthy Tokyo lady who presents Etsu-bo with chewing gum, highlighting cultural clashes.
Themes in this chapter
Tradition vs. Modernity
The chapter contrasts the nostalgic, picturesque past of Nagaoka with its modern transformation into a town of oil wells and a girls' school, and highlights the clash between old customs and new Western influences.
Family and Ancestral Duty
Etsu-bo fulfills her duty by visiting the family graves in Nagaoka before leaving Japan, and the family council's decision reflects the importance of perpetuating the family name.
Cultural Transition and Identity
Etsu-bo navigates between Japanese traditions and her American experiences, as seen in her reaction to the chewing gum gift and her reflections on the changing landscape.
Characters to notice
- Etsu Inagaki Sugimoto
Petitions the family council to return to America with her children; reflects on the changes in Nagaoka and her own past.
- Hanano
Joyfully prepares for the trip to America; reacts with amusement to the chewing gum gift.
- Chiyo
Hesitant about leaving Japan but curious about America; shows alarm at the white cow story.
- Sister
Hosts the family in her mountain village; tells the legend of the white cow and shares stories about Japanese customs.
- Brother
Mentioned as having moved to a distant city and focusing on his son's education, leaving the old family home behind.
- Mother
Referenced as lying buried beside her husband in Nagaoka; her memory is honored during the visit.
Key passages
“It is never wise for a Japanese woman, if she wishes to retain a position of influence and dignity, to say much on any subject. Actions, not words, are her most successful means of expression; but the time came when I saw that I must speak.”
Etsu-bo notes that Japanese women traditionally maintain influence through actions rather than words, but she felt compelled to speak up when the family council pressed her to choose a husband.
Highlights the theme of gender roles and the narrator's strategic use of speech.
“How we love these fruitless, beautiful trees—emblem of our dying knighthood!”
Etsu-bo reflects on the cherry blossoms as a symbol of the fading samurai spirit, appreciating their beauty despite their lack of practical fruit.
Connects to the theme of tradition vs. modernity and the loss of the samurai code.
“The old spirit of protection still dwelt amidst the ruins, for on the foundation rocks rose a huge fire-tower with its high platform and warning gong.”
Although the castle is gone, a fire tower now stands on its foundation, suggesting that the protective spirit of the past persists in a new form.
Illustrates the continuity of cultural values amid physical change.
“It's lucky for you children that your honourable mother is a faithful and a patient puller, for she has climbed over a rocky path of obstacles and at last is ready to pull you all the way over to America.”
Sister tells the children that their mother, like the white cow in the legend, has persevered through difficulties and is now prepared to take them to America.
Reinforces the theme of maternal strength and sacrifice.
