Evidence“'Isn't it interesting, Stephen-san,' he said, 'how sometimes you have to cut something down to make it grow back stronger?... It may seem lonely and barren at first, only to blossom again in the spring '” (193). Matsu connects human emotions to a tree: a gardener who wants strong, fruitful trees will prune the tree every year. These trees will produce higher quality fruit and live much longer. Similarly, Matsu shares with Stephen his belief that a person's life must be “pruned” to make him stronger and wiser. The difficulties in the lives of Stephen, Sachi, and Matsu all serve to make them more complete human beings and allow them to have more fulfilling lives. Each character reveals hidden attributes of honor and courage as they respond to both the physical ordeal of illness and emotional hardships such as loneliness and prejudice. Stephen would not have matured if he had not been infected with tuberculosis. Initially sent to Japan to recover from a life-threatening illness, Stephen faces another hardship in the form of loneliness. In the simple village of Tarumi, he is the only young man not to have been drafted to fight the war against China. However, instead of wishing to return home and hide in his shell, he begins to form bonds of friendship with those around him, starting with his caretaker and mentor, Matsu. Later, he comes into contact with a woman who has also been struck by a serious disease, leprosy, and has lost everything, but continues to live life. The friendships he forms with Matsu and Sachi prove stronger than any previous bonds he has known. Being more mature, he is more thoughtful and capable of taking action. After getting so much from… middle of the paper… I saw Sachi a long time ago. Once Kenzo commits suicide, Matsu is able to establish the relationship with Sachi that he had held back for 40 years. At the end of the novel, Matsu and Sachi are finally together and feel as if Stephen is "the musuko that [they] lost all those years ago" (205). In the end, Matsu is able to realize her own needs, has her own family, and a more fulfilling life. The characters Stephen, Sachi and Matsu have all experienced and weathered the storms of life. In addition to enduring tragedies such as disease, they also faced all kinds of oppression, isolation and prejudice. As painful as they may have been, overcoming these difficulties makes them stronger and allows them to have a more fulfilling life. These storms in life only serve to make a person stronger as they go through the different trials and triumphs that life has to offer.