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Content: Der Aufsatz analysiert die Figur Mizushima aus dem Buch "Harp of Burma" und dessen heroische Reise. Es wird diskutiert, ob Mizushima als Held betrachtet werden kann, der sich selbst für das Wohl anderer opfert. Er verhindert den Selbstmord japanischer Soldaten durch seine Harfenmusik und Redekunst und hebt die Moral seiner Kameraden im Kriegsgefangenenlager. Trotz seines Verschwindens und der anfänglichen Verzweiflung seiner Freunde endet die Geschichte mit einem Brief von ihm, der Frieden bringt.
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Mr. Scharfen
Ac English 10
December 14, 2015
Mizushima’s Heroic Journey
In class this semester, we read the book “Harp of Burma”. It is about Japanese Soldiers at the end of World War 2, held in a camp in Burma. One of them, Mizushima, is a Master in playing the harp. He always makes the others happy by playing this instrument and causes them to sing together, which makes their lives at the camp more enjoyable.
One day he goes on a mission, trying to convince Japanese soldiers from committing suicide. But is he really a hero? Does he really go through all the heroic cycle? According to Joseph Campbell a hero is “a person who puts himself in a peace of sacrifice for others”.
In this essay, I will analyze Mizushima’s story and decide whether he is a hero or not.
When Mizushima heard about one troop of Japanese Soldiers, who would not surrender although the war was already over, he makes his way to the cave, were the soldiers were hidden. He finds out, that the warriors wanted to get drunk to be able to commit suicide. With his extraordinary skill of playing the harp and his breathtaking skill of giving speech, he achieves to stop them thinking of bombing themselves and convinces them to surrender.
Another time, when Mizushima’s group of soldiers is surrounded by English troops, he gets out his harp and starts playing his favorite tune “Hanyu no Yado”, while his comrades prepare for battle. After a time, to their amazement, they don’t get involved in a battle, but they hear the British soldiers sing “Home Sweet Home”, the English version of “Hanyo no Yado”.
At that moment, they all come together and sing and dance as a group. Shortly after that, they hear that the war ended.
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After those events, Mizushima and his comrades were put into a camp in Burma, where they had to work a lot. But Mizushima made the days happier and easier for his and his friends, by playing the harp and singing together with them. Whenever they were down,
Mizushima was able to recover their moral. One day, though, Mizushima leaves the camp and doesn’t come back. The group becomes really concerned and their morality shrinks over time. They even start fighting and arguing with each other, what they have never done before.
The impacts of Mizushima not being with them are drastic. The hardest thing for them to deal with is not knowing if Mizushima was dead or not. Sometimes, they see a Burmese monk around that looks a bit like Mizushima, but according to stories they have been told, Mizushima must be dead, so they give up hoping and thinking of him, except for the general.
He would not quit hoping and searching for him. One day, he even receives a parakeet, which he learns how to say “Mizushima, let’s go back to Japan together”. He still is determined, that the Burmese monk must be their lost friend. And although Mizushima actually must be dead, they often come over evidence, that supports the statement of him still being alive.
One day, during a typical Burmese ceremony, they see a lot of monks walking in, all with a covered box hanging down from their necks, but one of them is carrying a different kind of box. A box that “only a Japanese would carry”. It is also the same monk, who they have seen before.
Another evidence would be, that they once saw a young boy, playing the harp, nothing special at first, but when the boy starts playing “Hanyu no Yado”. He played it so well and in the same way, Mizushima did. Consequently, it had to be Mizushima, who taught the boy how to play.
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in a gunfire, eliminates the possibility for Mizushima being alive completely. But then, when they expect it the least, just right before they go back to Japan again, they receive a letter. It turns out to be written by Mizushima himself. In this letter, he explains his story, beginning from where he left the camp, how he survived and how he became a monk.
He also wants to thank his comrades for the time they had together. After the letter, the book ends.
To conclude, do I think that Mizushima was a hero? Absolutely! He begins his journey with what is called “The call”, where he feels like to become a savior and helps the Japanese from doing suicide. After that, he does other good things and makes his allies happy and feel safe.
To me, he seems like a typical movie-hero: After bringing joy and security to his allies, he suddenly disappears and the big depression takes place among the people. The possibility, of him still being alive seems tremendously low. But when the mentality and moral is on the lowest point, something “magical” happens, what people never considered to be possible: An evidence, that the hero is still alive.
His character transforms. As a last gift to his friends, he writes the letter. Although he never returns, his friends aren’t sad. Now that they know his story and his feelings, they have peace of mind and can go without him. Mizushima also fits in Campbell’s ideal of a hero, as he saves other people by putting himself in danger.
In the end, one can say that Mizushima was a true hero. I really liked the book and I highly recommend reading it, not only for people who like history, but also for people who are against war, as this book brings a message of peace.
DE
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