Makot is a boy who has to buy friendship. He has been made fun of by the boys his own age and so he befriends the younger boys. To help assure that they will be his friends he buys them treats and takes them to the movies. Makot also takes them to his house when his parents are not home and shares food with them. When the younger boys do not give in to his way of thinking Makot pouts until they do. He withholds the favors he gives them unless they go along with what he wants.
In the story Makot’s family is the only Japanese family that lives in the Filipino camp. His parents are not like the boys parents that he plays with. Makot’s father owned a Model T unlike any of the other Japanese dads and does not appear to work. He also never spoke to the children. Makot’s mother dressed in a kimono and wore white powder on her face and red paint on her cheeks. His mother worked all the time. Makot’s friend’s families will not say what is different about Makot’s family but they don’t want their children playing with him.
I think Makot brought his friends home when his parents were not home because he did not want them to meet. When Kiyoshi went to Makot’s house Makot pushed his mother inside not wanting her to talk to his friend. It was as if he was hiding something or was ashamed of his parents. I felt that he was somewhat of a bully to the younger boys. Maybe it was because of the way the older boys treated him. I did not feel sad for him he was able to use the younger boys to get what he needed.
Hi BetteJo,
ReplyDeleteYou are so right, we should not feel sorry for him because he is using the younger boys, but on the other hand I think his family life is so out of control that he needs to feel in control of something, which happens to be the younger boys. I completely blame his parents for the way he is acting and reacting to other people. You have some gresat thoughts in your writing. It flows smoothly. Thanks. Barb
Hi BetteJo,
ReplyDeleteI too do not feel sorry for him. In one sense you want to, but how can you and he is so disobedient to his parents. I blame his parents for his attitude period. Thanks for the read.
I agree in that we should not feel sorry for Makot, but at the same time, I can't help but feel some compassion towards his character. He is still a child and has been grossly neglected by his parents. They have not been present to set necessary boundries and to provide him with the love and support all children need and deserve.
ReplyDeleteHi BetteJo,
ReplyDeleteI actually did feel sorry for Makot but I'm waiting for more information to be sure. I feel that a big reason he's acting the way he does is because of his home life. He seems to be ashamed of it and since the other kids aren't allowed to play with him I can see why he would feel that way. While I feel that the way he treated his mother was completely disrespectful she allows him to treat her that way and obviously isn't teaching him to behave any differently. Right now he's just a child but the older he gets the more it will become a problem and the less I will feel sorry for him!
Deborah
Hi BetteJo,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your post.I actually feel sorry for Makot even though he is kind of a bully. I work with kids with bad home lifes and they act just like this. I agree that he is embarrassed of his parents and am curious to see where the story goes.
Hi BetteJo,
ReplyDeleteI don't think Makot was a bully to the younger kids, it seems to me like he doesn't understand how to interact with people. He thinks that because he's the one that buys everything he's going to get what he wants and if his friends don't like it they can leave. Makot knows exactly how to get what he wants and isn't ashamed to whine or hang out with younger kids to get it.
Makot's actions and they way he treats his mother really opens a door into his home life. He obviously does not have any parental guidance and the lack of guidance has affected him not only at home but also with his friends. I agree with you that Makot did not want his friends to meet his parents but i wonder if he was ashamed of them and what they do or if he was scared of scarring away his so called gang.
ReplyDeleteHi BetteJo,
ReplyDeleteYou started a great discussion! In our analysis of this book, some of the questions we can ask is what motivates people and what causes people to behave as they do. In the case of Makot, we can see how his behaviors are a direct response to his parent's behaviors and choices. But we also have to ask whether or not people have the power to act for themselves. Some of what Makot does is the effect of parenting, but some of it is due to the way he chooses to respond. This notion of having the power to make our own choices and to decide on our own fate will be important as we examine the choices Kiyoshi and Toshio will make.
Thanks for your insights!
Lauren
Hey BetteJo,
ReplyDeleteI to think that Makot is a bully. I did not like the way that he treated his mother at all, where I come from that is a no no. I also don't like the way he cries until the other boys give into him. To me there is just something off about him maybe it does have something to do with the way the older kids treat him.
Sabrina