Form and Content
The Master Puppeteer is at once a fascinating introduction to the complex artistry of the Japanese puppet theater, a gripping historical novel, a mystery, and a study of friendship and loyalty. The novel follows the adventures of thirteen-year-old Jiro, who finds himself caught up in the political events of late eighteenth century Osaka, Japan. When Jiro accompanies his father, Hanji, to deliver a puppet to the Hanaza theater, Yoshida, the owner and master puppeteer, offers to take the boy on as an apprentice. To Jiro’s chagrin, his mother, Isako, does not take Yoshida’s offer seriously. Determined not to be a burden on his family during the current famine, Jiro runs away to the theater, where he becomes an apprentice; he begins his career by opening curtains and memorizing scripts and eventually graduates to a role as a “foot operator.” Along the way, he is helped by an older boy, Yoshida’s son, Kinshi, who does not seem able to please his father.
Worried about his father, who is said to be ill, Jiro briefly returns home to discover that Isako has taken his father to recuperate at a relative’s farm in Kyoto. When Jiro again returns home on New Year’s Day, he discovers that his mother is near starvation. One evening, Saburo, the mysterious bandit who steals from the rich to help the poor, leaves a notice on the door of the theater demanding a special performance of the current play, “The Thief of the Tokaido.” The lights go out after the performance, and the police are bound and their uniforms are stolen. One evening soon after, an angry mob dubbed the “night rovers” tries to break into the theater to get food. Jiro and another apprentice, Teji, are forced to guard the door throughout the night, and Jiro is shocked when he hears his mother’s voice crying out in the crowd.
When Kinshi begins to sneak out of the theater at night to help the night rovers, Jiro asks him to find his mother and help her. One morning when Kinshi is late returning to the theater, Yoshida orders Jiro to take his place and operate the feet of an important character in their latest play. When Jiro goes to the storehouse to find a puppet to use for practice, he discovers a Samurai sword and concludes that Yoshida is really the bandit Saburo. After Jiro tricks Yoshida into allowing Kinshi to take back his role in the play, the boy makes his friend promise to stop his evening forays into the town if Kinshi can arrange for him to meet Saburo, who might be able to help the night rovers. Jiro then seeks out Yoshida’s old master, the blind Okada, asking him to talk to “Saburo.” Jiro soon discovers that Okada is really Saburo and that he operates through human “puppets” such as Yoshida.
When Jiro leaves the theater to search for his mother and Kinshi, he is plunged into a riot that leaves much of the town in flames. There, he encounters his father, who is not really ill and who is really one of Saburo’s men. Jiro survives by disguising himself as a fireman and helps his mother and Kinshi return to the theater. Because of Jiro’s loyalty to Okada, Isako will be allowed to live at the Hanaza. Kinshi, whose right hand has been cut off during the riot, will be apprenticed to Okada, and Jiro, who has proved his talents in the theater and his courage in the outside world, will continue to train as a puppeteer under Yoshida.
(This entire section contains 603 words.)
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Setting
The narrative unfolds in Osaka, Japan, amidst the famine spanning from 1783 to 1787. The dire consequences of the famine have left Osaka's residents in a state of desperation, appearing almost dehumanized. In their fight to endure, they resort to looting and setting fire to buildings throughout the city.
Literary Qualities
Katherine Paterson has mentioned that she doesn't focus much on her writing style, letting the story's needs shape it instead. In The Master Puppeteer, her writing is straightforward, clear, and direct. The opening scenes quickly introduce the main character and setting, advancing the narrative with cinematic precision. The book begins with a detailed view of Jiro attempting to paint a puppet. The narrative then follows him into the family kitchen, where his mother criticizes him for being a nuisance. Another scene follows him onto the street, where a broader view reveals the famine-threatened world of Osaka.
Paterson uses concise, ironic statements to explore life's moral complexities. This may reflect the Japanese influence on The Master Puppeteer, which is filled with small "truths" or proverbs: "Ah—manners—they can be taught, but spirit—that is the gift of the gods"; "We all learn here by the honorable path of horrible mistakes"; "There is no way to help people once they've turned the corner toward beastliness." Including these sayings prompts readers to consider their validity in both the story and real life.
Paterson's greatest stylistic strength in The Master Puppeteer is her ability to weave parallels throughout the plot. For instance, Yoshida dismisses one of Hanji's puppets for appearing too cynical soon after a conversation between Hanji and Isako reveals Isako's own deep cynicism. Paterson further develops this technique in the book's pivotal chapter, "Command Performance," where nearly every event mirrors something else in the story. In this chapter, Okada's new play—featuring a legendary outlaw strikingly similar to the infamous Saburo—is performed for Osaka's impoverished residents in response to a written demand from Saburo himself. The authorities comply, hoping to trap Saburo, who claims he will attend. The play, the puppeteers' actions, and the audience's reactions are vividly described. The play's protagonist, the bandit Joman, clearly resembles Saburo. His son, who sacrifices his life to protect Joman, and the courtesan Fusamo, who dances frantically to distract the police, clearly parallel Jiro and Kinshi, who will later be called upon to make sacrifices to protect others, including Saburo. The police are duped in the play, just as they are in the audience. The puppet-bandit, who disguises himself as an elderly woman to evade capture, mirrors Yoshida, whose typically booming voice becomes deceptively ingratiating as he attempts to convince the police to allow the show to proceed.
Simultaneously, the backstage events mirror those on stage. Jiro's new duties in the production highlight his rise as the leading apprentice puppeteer, taking over Kinshi's role as the master's successor. Meanwhile, Kinshi assumes the responsibility of protecting Jiro's mother, stepping into Jiro's rightful position as a defender of the underprivileged. Following the "Command Performance" chapter, Paterson shifts focus from these parallels to create the kind of excitement, tension, and surprises typical of a mystery novel.
The riots, fires, and raids that occur soon after the play's presentation propel the narrative forward rapidly. Action becomes the focal point, as the characters' personalities and motivations have already been clearly defined.
For Further Reference
Bell, Anthea. "A Case of Commitment." Signal 38 (May 1982): 73-81. While this article provides limited details on The Master Puppeteer, it presents an intriguing overview of Paterson's work from a Christian viewpoint.
Jones, Linda T. "Profile: Katherine Paterson." Language Arts 58 (February 1981): 189-196. Jones includes extensive remarks from Paterson regarding the inspiration behind and the process of writing The Master Puppeteer.
Paterson, Katherine. Gates of Excellence: On Reading and Writing Children's Books. New York: Elsevier/Nelson, 1981. This volume contains several of Paterson's reviews reprinted from the Washington Post, along with essays on children's literature and the techniques of their authors. In 1988, Paterson released a companion volume, The Spying Heart: More Thoughts on Reading and Writing Books for Children.
