Yoko Ogawa’s The Housekeeper and the Professor is a captivating novel with a wonderful plot. This book changes reader’s perspective about mathematics as a whole. The story is about a college professor who got into a car accident at the age of 47 after which his memory is resetting every 80 minutes. His sister-in-law hires a housekeeper to look after Professor. Later on housekeeper bring her son to the job where him and Professor form a strong bond.
One fantastic quote from The Housekeeper and the Professor is, “Among the many things that made the Professor an excellent teacher was the fact that he wasn’t afraid to say ‘we don’t know.’ For the Professor, there was no shame in admitting you didn’t have the answer, it was a necessary step toward …show more content…
There is nothing wrong with admitting that you don’t know the answer because it is part of your learning, it is one step on the path to success. Mathematics is a precise field where there is only one correct answer to a particular problem. Those who study mathematics know that there is only one correct answer and they seek to find it. If they are wrong, they will keep trying until they find the correct answer because you want to find the correct answer. One example of this quote could be found in chapter 3 where Root has to solve Professors problem in exchange for the radio to get fixed. Root has a hard time solving the problem and cooperates with his mother. Together they find the right answer to Professor’s problem. As it is evident in this particular example, mathematics brings people together. Sometimes it is necessary to collaborate in order to achieve the set …show more content…
Numbers are just numbers, some people would say, but for Professor they are more than just a measurement. Numbers are the only thing that keeps Professor alive, besides Root and others who care about them. Professor carries a wide range of notes on his suit that remind him who he is, however he doesn 't carry any numbers on him since it 's the main thing that he knows the best and will always remember. Professor, especially, loves primes (a natural number greater than 1 that have no positive divisors other than 1 and itself). Numbers help Professor to find a mutual language with Root and the housekeeper, it is the main topic they always discuss. Numbers in the novel serve as a link between Professor and Root with his mother. Numbers are an integral part of humans’ lives. They are everywhere: in games, on watches, on streets, in math and science. Numbers are the backbone of all of the mathematics. The quote presented earlier is a significant piece of the novel. It explains Professor’s relationship with numbers and changes my perspective about numbers. Before reading this piece I thought the numbers are just arithmetical values that are being added, subtracted, divided, and multiplied. But after reading the book and this quote in particular, I started looking at the numbers differently. Not only numbers can be used for calculations in math, but also as a way to communicate and find connections between individuals. Professor
One fantastic quote from The Housekeeper and the Professor is, “Among the many things that made the Professor an excellent teacher was the fact that he wasn’t afraid to say ‘we don’t know.’ For the Professor, there was no shame in admitting you didn’t have the answer, it was a necessary step toward …show more content…
There is nothing wrong with admitting that you don’t know the answer because it is part of your learning, it is one step on the path to success. Mathematics is a precise field where there is only one correct answer to a particular problem. Those who study mathematics know that there is only one correct answer and they seek to find it. If they are wrong, they will keep trying until they find the correct answer because you want to find the correct answer. One example of this quote could be found in chapter 3 where Root has to solve Professors problem in exchange for the radio to get fixed. Root has a hard time solving the problem and cooperates with his mother. Together they find the right answer to Professor’s problem. As it is evident in this particular example, mathematics brings people together. Sometimes it is necessary to collaborate in order to achieve the set …show more content…
Numbers are just numbers, some people would say, but for Professor they are more than just a measurement. Numbers are the only thing that keeps Professor alive, besides Root and others who care about them. Professor carries a wide range of notes on his suit that remind him who he is, however he doesn 't carry any numbers on him since it 's the main thing that he knows the best and will always remember. Professor, especially, loves primes (a natural number greater than 1 that have no positive divisors other than 1 and itself). Numbers help Professor to find a mutual language with Root and the housekeeper, it is the main topic they always discuss. Numbers in the novel serve as a link between Professor and Root with his mother. Numbers are an integral part of humans’ lives. They are everywhere: in games, on watches, on streets, in math and science. Numbers are the backbone of all of the mathematics. The quote presented earlier is a significant piece of the novel. It explains Professor’s relationship with numbers and changes my perspective about numbers. Before reading this piece I thought the numbers are just arithmetical values that are being added, subtracted, divided, and multiplied. But after reading the book and this quote in particular, I started looking at the numbers differently. Not only numbers can be used for calculations in math, but also as a way to communicate and find connections between individuals. Professor