[Pachinko #2] # Chapter 15: Tokyo, 1960

 

 

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[Review previous expression]

 

 

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[Summarize this chapter]

 

Now it's been 2 years since Noa got into the Waseda Univ. Hansu is supporting him with housing, food, and allowance etc. He wanted his son only to focus on learning (never mentioned "studying") 

One day, Akiko tried to have a conversation with Noa,  who is one of his classmates of the lectural class(?).

Her first impression to Noa was bad, because she kept challenging to the professor during the class, and Noa wants to give a good impression to his professor so that he tends to keep a distance to her. 

But, one day, during the same lecture class, Akiko strongly disagree with the professor's idea that foriegners should go back their countries and live together (something like that). 

And it was shocked for Noa who was a nice student, and it changed his mind to be with Akiko.  

 

// chatgpt:

Now, it has been two years since Noa got into Waseda University. Hansu has been supporting him with housing, food, allowance, etc. He wanted his son to focus only on learning (he never mentioned "studying").

One day, Akiko tried to have a conversation with Noa, who is one of her classmates in the lecture class.

Her first impression of Noa was bad because she kept challenging the professor during the class. Noa wanted to make a good impression on his professor, so he tended to keep his distance from her.

However, one day during the same lecture, Akiko strongly disagreed with the professor's statement that foreigners should go back to their countries and live separately (or something along those lines).

It was shocking for Noa, who was a nice student, and it changed his mind about being around Akiko.

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[Quotes that I liked ]

 

 

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[New Expression]

(p. 275)  Noa finally felt comfortable about his place there.
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(p. 275)  Always an excellent student with good habits, after a few hiccups and several thoughtful attempts, Noa learned how to write English literature papers and take university-level exams.
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(p. 275) he no longer valued.
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(p. 275)  None of his requirements even seemed like work;
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(p. 275)  without straining his eyes,
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(p. 275)  a well-appointed apartment
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(p. 275)  gave him a generous allowance,
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...  (p. 275)  Fill your mind with knowledge—
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(p. 275)  it's the only kind of power no one can take away from you."
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(p. 275)  it occurred to Noa that there was a marked difference.
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(p. 275)  which was deeply underutilized by his peers.
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(p. 276)  the Japanese didn't want much to do with Koreans,
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(p. 276)  Noa kept to himself,
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(p. 276)  Hansu had said that the leftists were "a bunch of  whiners"
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(p. 276)  the rightists were "plain stupid."
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(p. 276)  he was still in thrall with just being at Waseda,
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(p. 276)  Like a man starved, Noa filled his mind, ravenous  for good books.
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(p. 276)  he must have read The Sorrows of Young Werther at  least half a dozen times.
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(p. 276)  he would have one drink that he'd barely touch to  pay for his seat,
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(p. 277)  She was always saying contrary things to Professor  Kuroda,
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☆(p. 277)  Noa could tell that she didn't like Akiko much;
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(p. 277)  the other students,
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(p. 277)  could barely tolerate her.
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(p. 277)  Akiko asked, flushed and out of breath.
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(p. 277)  It's sickening, and I'm almost irritated at you for  doing so.
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(p. 277)  I can't take you that seriously.
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(p. 277)  She said this with a serious face, not in the least bit concerned about offending him.
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(p. 278)  You're absurd.
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(p. 278)  You're perfect for her.
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(p. 278)  for being aloof.
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...  (p. 278)  retrieved his fountain pen,
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(p. 278)  Her tiny feet were shod with a childish pair of Mary  Janes.
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(p. 279)  it is better for people to only love within their race,
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(p. 279)  Jews need to live apart in their own country?"
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(p. 279)  She did not seem to believe in that formality.
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(p. 279)  nobility
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(p. 279)  people were often persecuted unfairly.
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...  ☆(p. 279)  The Jews have done no wrong,
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(p. 279) Eliot was far ahead of her contemporaries to think  about the issue of discrimination based on religion.
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☆(p. 279)  Akiko looked irritated nonetheless.
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...  (p. 279) undeterred.
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(p. 279)  I think this nobility argument or a greater  nation  for a persecuted people is a pretext to eject all the unwanted foreigners."
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☆(p. 279)  Noa did not look up.
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(p. 279)  He found himself writing down everything Akiko  said, because it upset him to think that this could be true.
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(p. 280)  everyone in the room despised Akiko,
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(p. 280)  he admired her courage to think so differently and  to suggest such a difficult truth.
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(p. 280)  not in most other settings, where the person in  charge was always right.
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(p. 280)  he had not thought for himself fully, and it had  never occurred to him to disagree in public.
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(p. 280)  deep in thoughts of her,
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(p. 280)  he knew that he wanted to be with her, even if it would not be easy.
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(p. 280)  Noa went early to class to claim the chair next to  hers.
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(p. 280) The professor tried not to show that she was hurt  by this defection, but of course, she was.
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