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Say It With Flowers by Toshio Mori: A PDF Guide to the 11 Themes and Symbols in this Masterpiece of Asian-American Literature
“Say It With Flowers” is a short story by Toshio Mori, a Japanese-American writer who was born in 1910 and died in 1980. Mori was one of the first Asian-American writers to be published in mainstream magazines and anthologies, and his stories reflect his experiences as an immigrant, a worker, and an internee during World War II. “Say It With Flowers” was first published in 1940 and later collected in Unfinished Message: Selected Works of Toshio Mori (2000).
The story is set in a flower shop in Oakland, California, where Mr. Sasaki, the owner, hires Teruo, a young Japanese-American boy, to help him with his business. Teruo is eager to learn the art of arranging flowers, but he soon finds out that Mr. Sasaki is a harsh and demanding teacher who criticizes his every move. Teruo also has to deal with Tommy, a white boy who works at the shop and who constantly mocks and bullies him. The narrator of the story is another Japanese-American boy who works at the shop and who sympathizes with Teruo but does not intervene in his conflicts.
“Say It With Flowers” is a rich and complex story that explores various themes and symbols related to identity, culture, communication, conflict, and resilience. In this article, we will examine 11 of these themes and symbols and how they contribute to the meaning and impact of the story.
1. Flowers
Flowers are the most obvious and prominent symbol in the story, as they are the main product of the shop and the source of Mr. Sasaki’s passion and pride. Flowers represent beauty, creativity, diversity, and harmony, as they come in different colors, shapes, sizes, and scents, and can be arranged in various ways to create different effects and moods. Flowers also symbolize communication, as they can convey different messages depending on their type and arrangement. For example, roses can express love, lilies can express sympathy, and carnations can express gratitude.
However, flowers also have a darker side in the story, as they are associated with conflict, violence, and death. Mr. Sasaki uses flowers as a weapon to humiliate and hurt Teruo, by throwing them at him or forcing him to eat them. Tommy also uses flowers to mock Teruo’s ethnicity and culture, by calling him “Chrysanthemum” or “Lotus Blossom”. Moreover, flowers are often used for funerals or memorial services, which implies that they are linked to loss and grief.
2. The Flower Shop
The flower shop is the main setting of the story and the place where most of the action takes place. The flower shop represents both a sanctuary and a prison for the characters. On one hand, it is a sanctuary because it provides them with a source of income, a sense of belonging, and a creative outlet. The flower shop is also a place where they can escape from the discrimination and hostility that they face outside as Asian-Americans in a predominantly white society.
On the other hand, the flower shop is also a prison because it confines them to a limited space where they have to endure Mr. Sasaki’s tyranny and Tommy’s bullying. The flower shop is also a place where they are isolated from their own culture and community, as they have to assimilate to the American way of life and business. The flower shop is also a place where they are exposed to the fragility and mortality of life, as they witness the decay and death of flowers every day.
3. Mr. Sasaki
Mr. Sasaki is one of the main characters in the story and the owner of the flower shop. He is an older Japanese-American man who has been working with flowers for over 30 years. He is an expert in his craft and takes great pride in his work. He is also very strict and demanding with his employees, especially Teruo.
Mr. Sasaki represents both a mentor and an antagonist for Teruo. On one hand, he is a mentor because he teaches Teruo the skills and knowledge that he needs to become a successful florist. He also challenges Teruo to improve his performance and overcome his weaknesses.
On the other hand, he is also an antagonist because he treats Teruo with cruelty and contempt. He constantly criticizes Teruo’s mistakes
4. Toshio Mori
Toshio Mori is the author of “Say It With Flowers” and one of the first Japanese-American writers to publish a book of fiction in the United States. He was born in Oakland, California, in 1910, the third of four sons of Issei Yoshi and Hidekichi Mori of Hiroshima prefecture. His family ran a bathhouse for local Japanese then operated a nursery, relocating to the rural town of San Leandro in 1915. Mori was interested in literature from a young age and read widely from various authors, such as O. Henry, Stephen Crane, Sherwood Anderson, de Maupassant, Balzac, Chekhov, Gorky, and Gogol. He also started writing his own stories, focusing on the Japanese-American community he lived in.
Mori faced many challenges and rejections as an aspiring writer, but he persevered and eventually found a mentor and supporter in William Saroyan, a Pulitzer Prize-winning Armenian-American author. Saroyan helped Mori find a publisher for his collection of short stories, Yokohama, California, which was supposed to be published in 1942. However, the publication was delayed by World War II and the executive order that authorized the forced removal of more than 100,000 people of Japanese ancestry into incarceration camps. Mori was sent to one of the camps, Topaz , in Utah, where he worked for the camp newspaper and continued to write fiction.
Yokohama, California was finally published in 1949 by Caxton Printers, a small publishing company in Idaho. The book received some positive reviews but did not sell well or gain much recognition at the time. Mori remained committed to his craft and wrote more stories and novels, but most of them remained unpublished or uncollected until after his death in 1980. Mori’s work was rediscovered and appreciated by a new generation of Sansei readers, writers and critics in the 1970s and 1980s, who recognized his unique voice and perspective as an Asian-American writer. Mori’s stories are now considered classics of Asian-American literature and have been anthologized and taught widely.
5. Teruo
Teruo is one of the main characters in “Say It With Flowers” and the protagonist of the story. He is a young Japanese-American boy who is hired by Mr. Sasaki to work at the flower shop. He is eager to learn the art of arranging flowers and hopes to impress Mr. Sasaki with his enthusiasm and talent.
Teruo represents both a student and a victim in the story. On one hand, he is a student because he wants to acquire the skills and knowledge that Mr. Sasaki has to offer him. He also wants to gain Mr. Sasaki’s approval and respect as a teacher and a role model.
On the other hand, he is also a victim because he suffers from Mr. Sasaki’s abuse and cruelty. He is constantly berated, insulted, and physically assaulted by Mr. Sasaki for his mistakes or shortcomings. He is also bullied by Tommy, who mocks his ethnicity and culture.
Teruo’s character arc shows his transformation from an innocent and optimistic boy to a disillusioned and resentful one. He gradually loses his passion and confidence for flowers and realizes that Mr. Sasaki will never appreciate or accept him as a florist or as a person. He also develops a hatred for Mr. Sasaki and wishes him dead.
6. Tommy
Tommy is one of the main characters in “Say It With Flowers” and the antagonist of the story. He is a white boy who works at the flower shop with Teruo and the narrator. He is rude, arrogant, and racist towards Teruo and other Japanese-Americans.
Tommy represents both a bully and a rival for Teruo. On one hand, he is a bully because he harasses Teruo with verbal and physical attacks. He calls him derogatory names like “Chrysanthemum” or “Lotus Blossom” and throws flowers at him or pushes him around.
On the other hand, he is also a rival because he competes with Teruo for Mr. Sasaki’s favor and attention. He tries to undermine Teruo’s work by sabotaging his arrangements or stealing his ideas. He also tries to impress Mr. Sasaki with his skills or flattery.
Tommy’s character arc shows his downfall from an arrogant and confident boy to a humiliated and defeated one. He eventually loses Mr. Sasaki’s trust and respect after he makes a fatal mistake with an important order for a funeral service. He also loses his power over Teruo after Teruo stands up to him and fights back.
7. The Narrator
The narrator is one of the main characters in “Say It With Flowers” and the storyteller of the story. He is a Japanese-American boy who works at the flower shop with Teruo and Tommy. He is also a delivery boy who brings the flowers to the customers.
The narrator represents both a witness and a friend for Teruo. On one hand, he is a witness because he observes and reports everything that happens in the flower shop and between the characters. He also provides some background information and commentary on the events and the people involved.
On the other hand, he is also a friend because he sympathizes with Teruo and tries to help him in some ways. He gives him some advice and encouragement, and sometimes defends him from Tommy’s insults. He also shares his feelings and thoughts with Teruo, and listens to his complaints and dreams.
The narrator’s character arc shows his growth from a passive and detached observer to an active and involved participant. He gradually becomes more invested in Teruo’s situation and more willing to take action to support him. He also becomes more aware of his own identity and values as a Japanese-American.
8. Communication
Communication is one of the major themes in “Say It With Flowers” and a key factor in the development of the plot and the characters. Communication refers to the exchange of information, ideas, feelings, or messages between people through various means, such as words, gestures, symbols, or actions.
Communication plays an important role in the story because it affects how the characters relate to each other, how they express themselves, how they understand each other, and how they resolve their conflicts. Communication can be effective or ineffective, clear or ambiguous, direct or indirect, honest or dishonest, respectful or disrespectful, depending on the situation and the intention of the communicators.
In the story, communication is often problematic or problematic for the characters, especially for Teruo. Teruo faces many communication barriers and challenges in his interactions with Mr. Sasaki and Tommy. Some of these barriers and challenges are:
- Language: Teruo speaks English as a second language and sometimes struggles with vocabulary or grammar. Mr. Sasaki also speaks English with an accent and sometimes uses Japanese words or expressions that Teruo does not understand.
- Culture: Teruo comes from a different cultural background than Mr. Sasaki and Tommy. He has different values, beliefs, norms, expectations, and preferences than them. He also has different ways of communicating his emotions, opinions, needs, or requests than them.
- Power: Teruo has less power than Mr. Sasaki and Tommy in the flower shop. He is a newcomer, a subordinate, and a minority. He has less authority, influence, and control than them. He also has less freedom, choice, and voice than them.
- Conflict: Teruo has frequent conflicts with Mr. Sasaki and Tommy over various issues, such as work performance, flower quality, customer service, or personal matters. These conflicts often escalate into arguments, insults, threats, or violence.
Communication can also be positive or negative for the characters, depending on how they use it or respond to it. Communication can be positive when it helps the characters to:
- Learn: Communication can help the characters to learn new skills, knowledge, or information from each other. For example, Teruo learns how to arrange flowers from Mr. Sasaki.
- Create: Communication can help the characters to create new products, services, or solutions for their customers or themselves. For example, Teruo creates beautiful bouquets for his customers.
- Connect: Communication can help the characters to connect with each other on an emotional or personal level. For example
Conclusion
“Say It With Flowers” by Toshio Mori is a powerful and poignant story that explores the themes and symbols of identity, culture, communication, conflict, and resilience in the context of the Japanese-American community before and during World War II. The story follows the experiences and struggles of Teruo, a young Japanese-American boy who works at a flower shop with Mr. Sasaki, Tommy, and the narrator. Through the use of flowers and other elements, Mori portrays the beauty and diversity of the Japanese-American culture, as well as the challenges and hardships that they faced as immigrants and minorities in a hostile society. Mori also shows the complexity and ambiguity of human relationships, as well as the potential for growth and change in the face of adversity. “Say It With Flowers” is a classic of Asian-American literature and a testament to Mori’s talent and vision as a writer.
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