Seventeen Syllables

Consider Mr. Hayashi’s role in the story. Is he a sympathetic figure? How does his arc and characterization inform the story’s themes? How might you justify his anger in the situation?

There are two examples of Japanese American wives and mothers in the story: Mrs. Hayashi and Mrs. Hayano. Examining both, what is the story saying about the nature of this gender role?

At the end of the story, Tome’s prize is destroyed, but Yamamoto does not say whether Tome stops writing haiku. Do you think she stops or continues to write and talk about haiku? Why does Yamamoto leave it ambiguous?

Research one of the pieces of American popular culture that Rosie references in the story. Compare Rosie’s interest in the piece to her lack of interest in her mother’s haiku. What does that say about her character?

Rosie is being pulled in two directions: obligation to her family and desire to become her own person. Pick a scene from the story that features at least one of Rosie’s parents and analyze how Rosie’s internal conflict changes the way she observes or interacts with her parent(s).

Choose a moment in the story when a character fails to understand or express themselves to another character. What is the cause of this miscommunication? How does this moment inform the character’s actions afterward?

How would you read the scenes between Rosie and Jesus differently if the short story was only about them? What does the parallel story of Tome Hayashi add to the reader’s understanding of Rose’s interactions with Jesus?

If Rosie never fantasizes about the car crash after visiting the Hayanos, most of the story would not change at all. Why does Yamamoto include this detail? What does it tell the reader about Rosie or the story?