Shannon Keegan and Joleen Chiu Samurai's Tale Project

1. Symbolism

1.1. Taro wishing and trying to become a samurai was like a young child thinking of their future job and working to achieve it

1.2. The lords fighting to become the shogun/ emperor is like people trying to win the election of becoming president today.

1.3. Taro's parents getting killed & forcing him to grow up is just like a kid losing something or growing through hard times, forcing them to realize that the world is not all perfect like it seems

2. Theme

2.1. Loss of Innocence

2.1.1. HIs parents died when he was young

2.1.1.1. This led to Taro losing his and his family's honor, and being forced to become a servant

2.1.2. His first friend and mentor (Togan) was murdered right in front of him.

2.1.3. All his close friends and people who treated him like their sons ended up dying

2.1.3.1. He had his friends to give him wise advice and help him along, but they all died at one point

2.1.4. Lord Akiyama saved Taro as a child and helped him move up ranks and befriends him. Later on taro sees Lord Akiyama dead on a cross.

3. Conflict

3.1. Internal

3.1.1. Zakoji(fix later) having a conflict about whether adopting Taro or not

3.1.1.1. Zakoji likes Taro and wants to have a good son in law, plus he knows his daughter likes him. At the same time he doesn't want his last daughter to marry.

3.1.2. Taro wanted to go back to Iwamura Castle, but also wanted to stay with the charcoal burner because it was safer

3.1.3. Everyone was getting new names, and Taro wanted one to and to ask Lord Akiyama for one, but he didn't want to seem too eager or be disrespectful

3.2. External

3.2.1. Takeda Shingen army vs. Oda's

3.2.1.1. This is just like person vs. person but instead its two opposite sides in a battle. A perfect yet simple example.

3.2.2. Taro and Jiro got in a fight, after Jiro lost the horse.

3.2.3. The old samurai constantly bullied and picked on Taro.

3.2.3.1. He made him bow down to his father and always picked on him and made fun of him because he no longer has the honor he used to have

3.2.4. Lord Akiyama's army vs. the castle (the siege of the castle)

3.2.4.1. The people within the castle were trapped there while Lord Takeda sent Lord Akiyama to go siege it