Principles are the bedrock of all the good characters in Heart of a Samurai. Captain Whitfield and his wife never waiver in their belief in equality for all people, and Manjiro never loses track of his ability to find the humanity in even the trickiest characters he comes across. More to the point, principles are what keep Manjiro a stable good guy in the midst of a lot of major changes, which means he doesn't just take center stage in this story, he earns it.
Questions About Principles
- What principles do Manjiro and Captain Whitfield share? What principles are different?
- How do Manjiro's principles differ from his Japanese friends?
- How do Manjiro's principles relate to his ability to adapt to change?
- Are the principles in the book more Japanese, more American, or some hybrid of both?
Chew on This
Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.
It's Manjiro's Japanese principles that keep him strong through all the changes he goes through.
There's no such thing as Japanese principles and American principles; principles are universal.