¶ … Bedside Story" by Mitsuye Yamada, a father relates an "old Japanese legend" to his young daughter (2). The legend involves an old woman who seeks shelter in "many small villages," looking for a place to stay for the night (6). In response to her petitions, "each door opened ... then closed," (9; 12). Finally, after an evening of rejections the old woman climbs a hill and lays down to rest. When she reaches the top the full moon peeks out from behind a cloud and the old woman is overcome with gratitude. She calls out "in supplication" and in immense gratitude for having been refused a place to stay (29). Were it not for the villagers' refusing her a bed, she might never have beheld the natural beauty of the full moon. When the father recounts this tale to his daughter in modern-day Seattle, the meaning of the story falls on deaf ears. "That's the end?" The girl says to her Papa (45). The 45-line free verse poem encompasses the irony inherent in the story-within-a-story, as both the narrator and the old woman perceive the world from a hilltop vantage point. The hilltop becomes a symbolic place that links the old woman and the young girl, who although she cannot fully appreciate the old woman's sense of gratitude at simply seeing the moon, nevertheless appreciates the "comfort of our / hilltop home," (41-42). Through such poignant symbolism and irony, Yamada conveys the dichotomy between old and young generations. Mitsuye Yamada's brief poem "A Bedtime Story" examines the conflicts between the ancient and the modern worlds, and between their corresponding mystical and material worldviews.
In "A Bedtime Story," the hilltop becomes the primary symbol of awareness, perception, and enlightenment. A hilltop is an optimal vantage point, a place of safety as well as a place of increased perception. From the top of a hill, a person can gain perspective on life. From the elevated vantage point, a person can understand the bigger picture. When the old woman reaches the top of the hill, she is initially physically exhausted. After "wearily" climbing the hill, she has to "lay down to rest / a few moments to catch / her breath," (15; 17-19). However, the old woman is psychologically and spiritually strong, for when she espies the glory of the full moon shining down upon the town, she is overcome with love and gratitude. The material comfort of a bed suddenly pales in comparison with the spiritual comfort of her natural surroundings, and from her literal and symbolic vantage point the woman truly appreciates life. Her attention shifts from that of needfulness to that of thankfulness; she has gone from a beggar to one who can fully receive. The hilltop enabled her to witness the true meaning of comfort and peace from an actual and metaphorical high point.
The old woman's appreciation for the simple yet powerful comfort of the full moon contrasts with the jaded dismissal of the story by the young girl. When she hears this legend, the girl "shouted" at her father for a more dashing ending. "That's the end?" is the last line of the poem, driving home the main theme of Yamada's poem (45). Young people growing up with the material comforts of the modern world can often fail to appreciate the subtle moments that offer spiritual solace, moments such as those enjoyed by the old woman. Moreover, the young girl takes for granted the comforts of her particular hilltop home. For the young girl, a hilltop means little more than a place from which to look down on the world. The old woman, on the other hand, was also able to use the hilltop as a place from which to look upward. Whereas the old woman's vantage point offered her a widened -- and wizened -- perspective of the world, the young girl's vantage point seems narrow and insular in comparison.
Yamada underscores the significance of the hilltop vantage...
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