Hisaye Yamamoto Seventeen Syllables Analysis

From the beginning of her short story, “Seventeen Syllables,” Hisaye Yamamoto establishes the split personality of Rosie’s mother, Tome Hayashi. Having recently taken an interest in haiku, Mrs. Hayashi, under the pseudonym Ume Hanazono, increasingly spends her time writing and perfecting her own haiku. Mrs. Hayashi’s subsequent inconsistency as a person does have consequences, changing the dynamics of the Hayashi’s family life. Yamamoto effectively renders Mrs. Hayashi split into two separate women, attaining the freedom and acclaim through her alter ego that she could not acquire as a housewife. Through her other identity, Mrs. Hayashi is able to escape her everyday routine and truly enjoy herself. Rosie discloses that her mother had …show more content…
Hayashi’s retreat into Ume Hanazono distances her from her family. Both Rosie and her father regard Mrs. Hayashi’s alter ego as a “an earnest, muttering stranger.” Both husband and daughter are clearly uncomfortable and unsure how to deal with Mrs. Hayashi, rendering her an outsider to the family. Rosie’s mother’s refusal to speak “when spoken to” cements this identity since she seems to no longer take interest in her family after her obligations from the day have been completed. Rosie recounts that in the past her family would simply bathe and go to bed. However, her mother now works on her haiku until “as late as midnight,” effectively changing their family routine. Rosie’s parents also used to “challenge each other to [games] of flower cards.” However, with the Ume Hanazono’s blossoming at night, Mr. Hayashi is forced to “resort to solitaire.” Flower Cards is a card game designed for two or more people to play. In contrast, only one or two players can play Solitaire. The change in cards games, especially the amount of players, further emphasizes the divide between Mrs. Hayashi and her husband as a result of her writing. This rift is physically represented when friends come to visit the Hayashi family: as opposed to interacting with company as a whole, the gathering would often “be split in two” if there was anybody who also loved haiku. Based on both of these examples, Rosie’s parents no longer function as a couple, suggesting that Mr. Hayashi does not entirely support his wife’s passion for haiku. At the end of the passage, Rosie notes that, just like a flower, Ume Hanazono’s “life span… was very brief,” lasting only “three months at most.” The statement itself is vague,but considering Mrs. Hayashi’s estrangement from her family as a result of her dedication and zeal for haiku, it is clear that Mr. Hayashi intervened and brought her writing career to an