Barbara Greenway
St. John Neumann Regional Academy
Review:The Master Puppeteer by Katherine Paterson
“Concentration. That was the secret of puppetry, and Jiro was enough of a puppeteer by now to be able to drive everything from his mind and body, but life of the doll in his hands.” (128). Jiro
The book begins with the main character Jiro, gluing the head of a puppet in Hanji’s work shop.
Father and son travel to Osaka to hand deliver the doll to the master puppeteer, Yoshida.
Jiro embarrasses his father by breaking with tradition by eagerly jumping at the chance
to eat the food of Yoshida. In response, Yoshida tells Hanji, “Should the day come that he is not
needed in your shop, let me know. All a colt lacks is discipline”(16). Without discussing his
plans with his parents, Jiro decides to go to the Hanza to work an an apprentice with agoal
of becoming a foot operator and use the money to buy food for his mother and father as five
years of famine had already starved far too many Japanese.
Isako, mother of Jiro, in a fit of anger tells him she curses the day he was born. Despite his
efforts to explain his decision to leave home, she rejects him. Jiro had much to mull around
in his mind throughout the book. His mother’s rejection, worry over the welfare of his parents
and friend Kinshi will need to be put on hold to succeed in whatever role Yoshida gives him on
a daily basis. It would take a great deal of practice, the kindness of Kinshi, and intense
concentration (128) for Jiro to become an accomplished puppeteer.
Hunger, hard work, feelings of fear, anger, desperation,ambition, as well as the pursuit of food
and wealth are themes interwoven throughout the book by author Katherine Paterson in contrast
to themes of bravery, loyalty, and good winning over evil, interspersed as well.
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When Jiro experiences the sweet taste of success, and the applause that came with it, Jiro begins
to struggle with the feelings of ambition for his own self interest. Later when he finds a samurai
sword and the identity of Saburo, he has to decide what plan of action to take, so as not to
destroy the Hanza or harm his friend Kinshi.
The hard work and discipline Jiro and his fellow boy apprentices experience pay off in their
journey toward becoming full-fledged puppeteers. The hard life of the Hanza aids Jiro when he is
forced to make quick decisions and when defending himself during his search for his friend
Kinshi and Isaka, especially during the violent “smashings” times and fire outbreaks that plague
the city, toward the end of the book.
The book could be utilized by art teachers, researching the fine art of puppet making and building
a miniature puppet theater. Katherine Paterson has “painted” numerous word pictures that could
be used in creating props for a show as well. Further the ink drawings placed between each
of the sixteen chapters, give readers a view of the clothing, hair styles, and music instruments of
Japanese people described within the book.
Because the book has a gloomy tone at times and the description of violence, I believe
the book would be best suited for students in fifth or sixth grade, with discussion of the themes
they find. Educators teaching social studies could collaborate with art teachers and/or world
historyteachers to create multicultural lessons focusing on Japan. The book keeps the attention
reader and could serve as a springboard for discussion of possible efforts by schools toward
eliminating hunger, one person or family at a time.
The characters in the book responded to great difficulties with anger, fear, worry, and despair and
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occasionally with humor. Like the puppeteers of Hanza, we can choose to master our emotions,
work together with other people, and with practice and brave determination, find positive
solutions, to life’s challenges-the choice is ours.
Work Cited:
Paterson, Katherine. The Master Puppeteer. New York: Harper Trophy, a registered trademark of
HarperCollins Publishers, Inc., 1975.
Novel Elements
Main Characters
- Jiro-a thirteen-year-old boy from Osaka, Japan who decides to ask to be an apprentice to
learn the skill of being an operator of puppets
- Yoshida-the Master Puppeteer of the Hanza puppet theater
- Mochida-wife of Yoshida
- Kinshi-son of Yoshida, friend of Jiro and oldest of the boy apprentices
- Okada-blind playwright, in charge of fifteen(15) chanters and musicians
- Tozo-an apprentice samisen player who also helped Okada the playwright and chanter
- Hanji-puppetmaker and father of Jiro
- Isako-mother of Jiro, resentful of his existent, curses day Jiro was born, later shows remorse
for her actions
- Kawada Itcho (Wada)-senior boy among the eight(8) foot operators
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- Mochid Enzo-senior boy among the six (6) left-hand puppet operators
- Teiji-smallest boy of the puppet operators who sees himself as lucky as they always seem to
have food when the rest of the city and country are starving.
Setting
Osaka, Japan during the thirteenth century.
Conflict
Thirteen-year-old Jiro believes his father is ill and his parents are starving, as are most of the people in his
town and country, and knows he needs to succeed as an apprentice at the puppet theater to earn money for
food for his family, in addition to attempting to solve the mysterious whereabouts of Saburo, the thief.
Plot
•Hanji, the puppet maker and his son Jiro deliver a female puppet to Yoshida Kinshi at his home.
During the visit Jiro embarrasses his father by plunging forth eagerly at Yoshida’s invitation to
eat a meal. Yoshida offers to take Jiro in to work at the puppet theater.
•With his family in need, Jiro decides to go to Hanza, the puppet theater to offer himself as an
apprentice to make money to buy food for his starving parents.
•Jiro’s mother, Isako, is bitter at Jiro’s decision to leave home and curses the day of his birth.
•Months go by for Jiro, filled with household chores, practicing with fellow child and adult
puppeteers, and putting on plays. Jiro usually learns the trade by trial and error, but eventually
improves through the kindness of Kinishi, son of Yoshida.
•From the beginning, Jiro witnesses the harsh attitude of Yoshida, especially toward his son
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Kinishi,who is verbally and physically abused by his father. In addition to fear and respect for
Yoshida, a new feeling grips Jiro-hatred when the abuse doesn’t stop. Later Jiro sees Yoshida in
a new light when the old puppeteer saves him from harm when Jiro ventured outside alone.
•Okada writes a new play about robbers just before New Year’s. Instead of risking Kinishi being
punished again, Jiro decides to go directly to Okada himself to ask for a copy of the new play. His
bravery is met with receiving a copy from Okada and admiration of his fellow apprentices.
•The boys thoroughly enjoy three days off work during the New Year’s celebrations, enough time,
Jiro decides to take food to his angry and starving mother.
•On his journey back to the theater, Jiro stumbles over the body of an old man who froze to death.
A street bully almost kills him for supposedly invading his territory, but Jiro is saved by Yoshida.
•Yoshida assigns Jiro to the part of foot operator in the new play, but Jiro doesn’t think he is
ready, even though Kinshi and Wada tell him otherwise.
•Jiro utilizes most of his time practicing with the doll puppet, usually not taking much time to eat,
instead practicing for hours to perfect his skills.
•While the theater enjoys success and food, the city outside by contrast has men, women, and
children roaming about searching for food. When the night rovers visit the Hanza one night Jiro
becomes ill when he recognizes the voice of his own mother and that he could have hit her by
mistake defending the theater.
•In the cover of night Saburo, the “Robin-Hood” of Osaka delivered a message demanding that the
play, “The Thief of the Tokaido” be performed free for the poor of the city at dusk.
•At the end of the play, Saburo embarrassed the police by tying them up and stealing their
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uniforms. And to further put “salt in the wound” so to speak, the fishmonger told a story of
Saburo and his band accused Morikawa, the moneylender of illegal printing and in the process
robbed him of his treasure.
•Authorities demand that Yoshida no longer perform Osaka’s new play due to the potential
violence it might incite especially among the poor.
• When Kinshi is given the role of foot handler by his father, Jiro at first is happy for his friend, but
starts to struggle with jealousy and ambition.
•When Jiro confides in Okada that he found a samurai sword in Yoshida’s storeroom, Okada later
shocks Jiro by following him into the storeroom. In fear, Jiro locks Okada in the storeroom,
believing he has captured Saburo.
•Night rovers turned very violent, burning down buildings, looting, and killing policemen and
firemen, with glee. Jiro was worried about Kinshi going out into the night helping the poor.
While out looking for his friend, Jiro meets his father who admits being part of Saburo’s gang.
•Jiro thinks of the night rovers violent actions and he believes Kinshi is the only truly good person
left in the world, after learning his father had abandoned his mother to become a bandit.
•Jiro finally finds Kinshi with his mother. Isako is tearful, admitting to breaking into a
house with the intent of stealing rice. In a haste to judgment and officer cuts off the hand of
Kinshi who said he would be dead if it were not for the actions of Jiro’s mother. He had looked
out for Isako and she in turn saved his life but stopping the bleeding of his severed arm.
•At the end of the book, Yoshida’s wife and Isako start sharing the task of nursing Kinshi back to
health. There is an air of forgiveness, gratitude, and a glimmer of hope for the future.