Analysis Of The Housekeeper And The Professor By Yoko Ogawa

In The Housekeeper and the Professor, Yoko Ogawa illustrates the varying perspectives through which different people regard the world. Set in late 20th century Japan, The Housekeeper and the Professor follows three characters as they form a strong relationship despite their contrasting opinions. The Housekeeper, prior to working for the Professor, sees the world as dull and unremarkable. Similarly, her ten-year-old son Root finds nothing special about the mathematics that he learns in class. Upon meeting the Professor, the Housekeeper and Root discover that even with his peculiar memory condition, the Professor has a distinct view of the world and showcases extraordinary talents. The trio’s eye-opening experiences together strengthen their family-like bond. Not only do the Housekeeper and Root learn a significant amount of mathematics from the Professor, but they also come to appreciate the value that mathematics holds in daily life. After spending time with the Professor, the Housekeeper and Root adopt new perspectives on life which suggests that one person may influence another individual’s perception of ordinary and extraordinary when they connect over a mutual interest and are open to new experiences. Before meeting the Professor, the Housekeeper and …show more content…
To the Housekeeper’s confusion, he claims to spot the first evening star and points it out to her one day. She only notices “. . .a few wisps of cloud” (79) and believes that the Professor sees hallucinations. Soon, the Housekeeper learns to recognize that the evening star holds some significance for the Professor in his remarkable mind, even though she never understands his attachment to it. After familiarizing themselves with the Professor’s unusual outlook on life, the Housekeeper and Root become captivated by his talents and his rhythmic, seemingly magical, way with