「パラシュート兵のプレゼント」
“Parashūtohei no purezento” [The Present of a Parachute Soldier]
JAPANESE TEXT:
Matayoshi, Eiki. “Parashūtohei no purezento. Parashūtohei no purezento. Nantōgōsha, 1988 Print. 126-178.
1. Introduction
“Parashūtohei no purezento” was first published in June 1978 in the Okinawa Times as a short series. After that, the story appeared in “Parashūtohei no purezento” in January 1988. In the Okinawa Times, Matayoshi introduces his story before it was published in the newspaper. He says that he wrote the story based on what “presents” American soldiers gave Okinawan civilians every day. In addition, he also mentions that he represented Okinawan people’s complex feelings through the boys, who are excited about the ammunition and the bombing exercises.
“Parashūtohei no purezento” tells the story of five Okinawan boys who meet a paratrooper who falls down from the sky. They approach him and notice he has injured his foot in the parachuting accident. In order to get scraps from him, they help take him to his base. From that time, they meet the paratrooper several times. At first, he doesn’t have any scrap, so he promises to give them something later. A few days later, in order to get scrap, Chambers (the paratrooper) and the boys go to a field and burn the grass in a field, which is very dangerous. However, they couldn’t get any scrap. The next day Chambers brings a box of cigarettes for the boys. After that, the five Okinawan boys and the paratrooper gradually become friends as they get to know one another.
2. Character List
Boku ぼく
Boku (“I,” the Japanese personal pronoun most often used by boys) is the protagonist and narrator. He is a thirteen-year-old junior high school student and doesn’t speak English at all. He and his friends often go to the spring in order to see Masako, a girl who is two years older than him, and other girls. He thinks he is small and has no muscle. He always compares himself with the other boys. At the beginning of the story, Boku doesn’t really like Chambers, but he changes his mind as he gets to know him. Finally, he suggests taking Chambers to the spring, which is his secret place. In other words, he wants to get closer to Chambers.
Yacchi ヤッチー
Yacchi is a seventeen-year-old high school student who hangs out with Boku and his friends. He speaks English better than the younger boys, so whenever the boys talk with the American soldiers, Yacchi helps them to translate Japanese into English. He is the oldest person in the group, so he is a leader, and Boku respects him very much. Yacchi often says that the American soldiers are cowards, but most likely, he’s just showing off to the younger boys. He is not afraid of anything when trying to get scrap.
Chambers チャンバース
Chambers is an American paratrooper who is twenty-one years old. He has a wife and two children, who live in California. Boku says that Chambers looks short and weak compared to other American soldiers. One day, when Chambers is training, he crashes into the ground and injures his foot, and the boys try to help him. After that, Chambers meets with the boys several times to give them something to exchange for money.
Yukio 行雄
Yukio is about thirteen years old and is a junior high school student. He also loves to bet. Boku says that he is the most adult among the boys because he is the tallest and has muscles and lots of hair. He likes seeing the parachute training, so even during class, he sneaks out to watch.
Mitsuru 充
Mitsuru is about thirteen years old and is a junior high school student. Boku says that Mitsuru is a small, quiet boy who looks weak and cowardly. However, Mitsuru bravely tries to approach the American soldiers, so Boku is surprised. Mitsuru also loves betting, but he hates school.
Hidemitsu 秀光
Hidemitsu goes to the same school as Boku. He is a thirteen-year-old junior high school student who also loves betting. Boku thinks he is weak and childish. Hidemitsu’s personality is similar to Yukio’s.
Masako まさこ
Masako is a fifteen-year-old girl who often goes to the spring to get some water. Boku thinks Masako is attractive and has a nice body compared to the other girls about her age. Clearly, Boku is interested in her.
Anma アンマー
Anma is about forty-year-old. She works at a store where Boku and Yacchi often go to exchange scrap metal for money. She doesn’t have a husband or child. She has dark skin and is plump. She doesn’t really like the American soldiers because they caused her trouble several times, such as when American soldiers borrowed her motorcycle without asking and when a paratrooper crashed into her papaya tree.
Mr. Higa 比嘉のおじさん
Mr. Higa is much older than the boys. Three months ago, before they meet Chambers, in order to get an empty shell, Higa and Yacchi went inside the chain link fence, which Okinawan people weren’t allowed to enter. At that time, Higa got seriously injured. Because of that, he has been in the hospital for three months.
3. Historical Background
Parachuting Accidents in Iejima
“Parashūtohei no purezento” describes a parachuting accident that happens on a small island. Actually, a lot of parachuting accidents have occurred on Iejima. According to the Ryukyu Shinpō, the Special Action Committee on Facilities and Areas in Okinawa (SACO) decided to move parachuting training to Iejima in 1996. According to Ahagon Shōkō, American soldiers accidentally parachuted into Nishi Junior High School on December 17, 1972. Three months later, in 1973 March, a paratrooper dropped on the roof of a house. Fortunately, nobody died or got injured because of these accidents, but they were very dangerous. Therefore, Iejima civilians have been living with the threat of parachuting accidents every day. In addition, even now paratrooper training is held in Iejima, so accidents have been accruing. On April 4, 2018, American soldiers accidentally parachuted outside the training area, fifty meters from a private house. Also, Iejima civilians often find things, such as a drum or parachute, which has been dropped by American soldiers, so the parachuting training remains a heated topic of debate.
U.S. Military Bases in Okinawa
According to the Okinawa Prefectural Government, 70.6% of the land in Japan that is exclusive to U.S military facilities are concentrated in Okinawa, which accounts for only 0.6% of the total land area of Japan. After the war, a lot of accidents have been accruing because of the base. For example, in 1950, a paratrooper dropped a fuel tank accidentally, and a girl died. Moreover, in 1965, a US helicopter dropped a trailer from the sky and another girl died. Besides such incidents, the Okinawan people are afraid of accidents affecting their daily lives. In addition, water pollution has also been a problem.
4. Plot Summary
Section 1 (126-138)
One day, Boku, Yacchi, Yukio, Mitsuru and Hidemitsu are betting as usual when a soldier comes parachuting down near them. They hope the paratrooper has already died because they can get his personal belongings, such as his hat and badge, which they can exchange for money. They decide to approach the American soldier, and Yacchi talks to him in his broken English. They take him to the base because he has injured his foot in the parachuting accident. They treat him very carefully, thinking that if he gets angry, he would shoot them. On the way to the destination, they try to get some of his personal belongings. They arrive at a store and ask the owner, called Anma, if Yacchi can borrow a motorcycle to take Chambers to the base. She refuses, but Yacchi takes a motorcycle anyway and goes to the base, even though he does not have a driver’s license. When they arrive, Chambers thanks them and promises to give them something later.
Section 2 (138-154)
Two weeks pass since Chambers promised to bring some scrap metal. In the school, students can see the paratrooper’s training from their classrooms. Every time a student sees the paratroopers, they make some noise, and the teacher scolds them. Boku hates the teachers but is interested in the paratroopers. He has been thinking about when Chambers will bring scrap to them. They prefer collecting scrap rather than doing homework. One day, the boys go to find scrap as usual. They arrived at the chain link fence, which is a very dangerous place. Three months ago, the boys, Mr. Higa and Yacchi went inside the chain link fence, where Okinawan people weren’t allowed to enter. At that time, Higa got seriously injured. Because of that, he has been in the hospital for three months. However, Yacchi still goes to the chain link fence where Mr. Higa got hurt. Finally, Chambers shows up with an American guy who looks very strong and tall. However, they don’t have any scrap, so Yacchi asks Chambers about the scrap, and Chambers tells them that he will come again tomorrow. After some conversation, Chambers and the American guys leave.
Section 3 (155-166)
Two days later, Chambers shows up again. However, he doesn’t have any scrap again, so instead, he says he will help them to find scrap in a field. They go to a field and burn the grass, which is a very dangerous thing to do. While they are looking for scrap, Chambers gives Boku some chewing gum. Boku feels happy and special because he was the only one to get any. From that time, Boku’s view of Chambers gradually changes. Even after burning the field, they couldn’t find any scrap metal, so the boys are disappointed in Chambers. However, the next day Chambers brings a box of cigarettes for the boys. The boys are very happy because cigarettes can be exchanged for a lot of money as well.
Section 4 (166-168)
Chambers and the boys go to the beach to drink alcohol at night. At the beach, they learn a lot about Chambers. His wife and children live in California, and he sends money to them for living expenses every month. His parents passed away when he was a child. In addition, he says that he will fight in the Vietnam War very soon. While they are talking, Chambers looks depressed, so the boys try to cheer him up.
Section 5 (168-173)
Yacchi and Boku decide to collect some sweet potatoes to give to Chambers as a present. Stealing the potatoes is dangerous because there is an American guard making the rounds. Suddenly, the army dog barks at the boys, and they run away. Yacchi throws a stone at the dog, and shouts, “Son of a bitch!” They manage to run away from the dog and the American soldier, but they could not steal the sweet potatoes. They are afraid that the US soldiers took their photo. If there is proof, they will get arrested the next day. On the way back home, Yacchi tells Boku to not talk to anyone about what they did. Boku regrets what he has done.
Section 6 (173-179)
Four elementary school girls come to Anma’s store holding nails and empty cans to exchange for money. Anma tells them to bring bigger things and gives them eight candies. The boys are also at Anma’s store when Chambers and two Americans suddenly show up. Chambers has a bunch of empty shells, which they can exchange for money. The boys are really happy. Yacchi asks Chambers to go to the beach for drinking again. But Chambers says, “No, no.” The two American soldiers get a beer at Anma’s store without paying. They also play with the spring water and wash their bodies without asking. Boku comes up with the idea of taking only Chambers to the spring to get some water and to see Masako, an attractive girl who often goes there to wash her clothes and body. Boku thinks Chambers is not bad like the other American soldiers, so he suggests the idea to Yacchi. However, Yacchi refuses to go along. In the end, Chambers and the two Americans leave, and Boku tries to say goodbye to Chambers because it might be the last time to see him. However, he can’t say anything. Instead, he shakes his hand very strongly. Then, the American guys and Yacchi go back into the base.
5. Setting
Although not clearly stated, there are many hints that the story takes place on Ie Island, which is located off the northeast coast of the Okinawa mainland. For example, the story mentions that “parachute training started from last fall” (138). In addition, Boku mentions that “he saw paratroopers fall down into people’s living areas” (138). During the Vietnam War, Ie Island was where American soldiers did parachute training. According to the Ryukyu Shinpō, Ie Island was officially accepted as a parachute training area in 1996. In addition, the boys refer to one of their teachers as being “a teacher from the mainland.” That means they live on a remote island. Therefore, even though the story doesn’t mention the setting, it is clearly Ie Island.
The story is during the Vietnam War, which lasted between 1960 and 1975. In the story, Boku mentions that Chambers has to go to Vietnam very soon (166). In addition, the season of the story is summer, since Boku mentions that it is summer vacation.
6. Point of View
Boku is the narrator and protagonist. In other words, the whole story is narrated by Boku (the Japanese personal pronoun most often used by boys). Readers only learn what Boku is thinking, and about other people’s characteristics and personalities through Boku’s point of view. In the story, Boku often describes people and compares himself to others. Therefore, readers can learn how a thirteen-year-old boy thinks about himself.
At the beginning of the story, Boku wants to take Chambers to a spring to get some scrap, and to treat Chambers kindly. However, as Boku spends time with Chambers, he gradually has a change of heart. For example, Boku goes to a sweet potato field with Yacchi to get some potatoes to give to Chambers as a present. In addition, Boku suggests that he wants to take Chambers to the spring because he wants to get closer to Chambers little by little. Boku thinks Chambers is not the same as other American soldiers.
7. Symbolism
Presents
As suggested by the title, presents play an important role in the story. The word “present” is rarely used in the story, but Chambers often gives things to the boys. For example, he gives the boys cigarettes, alcohol, and a bunch of scrap. Usually, presents are used as a gesture of good will; however, in this story, Chambers gives the boys “presents” such as cigarettes and alcohol, which are not good for boys around thirteen years old. He gives them to the boys without thinking about anything. In addition, Yacchi and Boku try to steal sweet potatoes to give to Chambers as a present. Readers can see that “present” is used in an ironic way.
Spring
The spring often appears in the story. The boys didn’t tell anyone about the spring because it is a special place for them. The spring seems to represent youth. There are young girls, including Masako, at the spring, and the girls often go there to wash their bodies and get some water. In the story, Boku mentions that after the boys look for scrap, they go to the spring to get water. However, Boku had one more purpose, which is to see Masako’s naked body (134). So, Boku often goes to the spring not only to get some water but also to see young women.
8. Themes
Manliness
One theme of “Parashūtohei no purezento” is manliness. Many Okinawans were influenced by American soldiers during the Vietnam War, which lasted from 1960 to 1975. During the war, a lot of American soldiers came to Okinawa for training before going to Vietnam. They had a lot of money, so Okinawan people, who were struggling financially, often made money by providing services for the Americans. Some children thought American soldiers were strong and cool because Okinawan people treated them with deference. Therefore, Okinawan boys often viewed American soldiers as the epitome of manliness. Matayoshi’s story shows us how Okinawan children were negatively influenced by American soldiers during the Vietnam War.
To begin with, Matayoshi’s story shows that the boys treat women very badly. For example, in the story Boku mentions that in order to get scrap and money, he wants to take Chambers to the spring to see Makao’s naked body (134). During the Vietnam War, many American soldiers went to bars, where Okinawan women worked. They went there to not only drink, but also to have sex with or to fondle the women. Not surprisingly, American soldiers paid a lot of money. Therefore, Okinawa boys might think this is the manly way to treat women.
Secondly, the boys feel a sense of excitement and don’t really think of stealing or destroying property as a crime. In the story, Chambers gives the boys cigarettes and drinks alcohol with them, even though the boys are still underage. They also go to the beach at night for drinking together. Also, Yacchi mentions that American soldiers stole Anma’s motorcycle without asking and threw the motorcycle away in the field. (135) After that, Yacchi also goes to Anma’s store to borrow a motorcycle to take Chambers to the base, even though he does not have a driver license. Actually, “borrowing” without asking is a crime, but they might have thought it is fine because they saw the Americans do the same thing. This shows that the boys were negatively influenced by the American soldiers.
For all these reasons, readers can see that American soldiers had a huge impact on Okinawan children. Since Okinawan youth grew up in a bad environment, their definition of manliness was not normal like people who grew up before or after the war.
Friendships between U.S. soldiers and civilians in Okinawa
Another theme of the story is friendship. From the story, readers can learn how relationships were between American soldiers and Okinawan children during the Vietnam War. Many American soldiers came to Okinawa, and they treated Okinawan people badly, such as the American soldiers who borrowed Anma’s motorcycle without asking. She found it in Akamine’s sugarcane field, and the motorcycle was broken. (135) Therefore, the relationships between US soldiers and Okinawan people were not good. However, in the story, Matayoshi shows us Chambers gradually gets closer with the boys. They didn’t get that close, but there was a something like friendship between them.
For example, at the beginning of the story, the boys take care of Chambers only to get scrap metal. However, gradually they change. Chambers gives them a lot of things to exchange for money, and he also tries looking for scrap with the boys. After that, Yacchi and Boku go to a potato field to get Chambers a present, even though the potato field is very dangerous for them. They want to give something back to Chambers.
Second, Matayoshi also shows that Chambers gradually shares his personal feelings with the boys. For example, when the boys and Chambers go to the beach, Chambers starts talking about his private affairs, such as how his parents passed away when he was a little, and how he needs to send money to California because he has a wife and child. In response, the boys try to comfort Chambers in his sorrow. (166) One of the reasons why he opens up to them is probably that he is going to go to Vietnam very soon and thinks he might die. Still, the friendly feelings he reveals seem to be genuine.
US Military Bases and Okinawan Children
The last theme is the effect of the US military bases on Okinawan children. Currently, 70.6% of the land in Japan that is exclusive to U.S military facilities are concentrated in Okinawa. Okinawan children are surrounded by these dangerous bases, and a lot of accidents are caused by American soldiers. According to Okinawa kugen no gendaishi [Okinawan Contemporary History of Hardship], all children have a right to grow up and study in a normal environment, and they also have a right to a peaceful life. However, Okinawan children are different. For example, a lot of battle planes or attack helicopters fly above their schools during class, and classes are interrupted because of noise, such as live cartridges shot from gun platforms, which are sometimes only a few meters away from the school. As a result, the students are scared of loud sounds and tremors. These facts are the same situation as during the war. Matayoshi story shows us that Okinawan children grow up in a terrible environment, and describes the bad influences of the US bases on Okinawan children.
In the story, Matayoshi shows us that the boys live near danger. Boku and the other students see many accidents from their classroom. Boku says that he sees the paratroopers many times during class, and every time the students see a paratrooper, they make some noise and the class is interrupted. (138). In addition, Boku says that he saw the paratrooper’s accidents twice in person. One of the accidents is that the paratrooper fell down onto Anma’s papaya tree. Moreover, another paratrooper fell down on a telegraph pole, which was nearby a public hall. (138).
Second, Matayoshi shows us that the soldiers get the boys to try dangerous things. Chambers and the boys go to a field in order to search for scrap, and Chambers brings gasoline to pour on the grass. Then, they burn the grass to find scrap more easily, which is very dangerous. If an American soldier discovered what they were doing, they could have been shot. For all of these reasons, readers can see how Okinawan children grow up in a terrible environment because of the bases. The children see a lot of things in their daily life. The base has harmful effect on children’s education.
9. Criticism
In “Okinawa after Reversion: The Boy’s Point of View in Matayoshi Eiki’s Early work,” Yanai Takashi argues that the most important thing in Matayoshi Eiki’s story is “the eyes of the boy.” Yanai points out that many Okinawan children were born after the war and view the US bases as a given, so they don’t feel enmity towards American soldiers at all and even feel friendly towards them.
Yanai argues that Matayoshi shows us that the relationships between the American soldiers and Okinawans was not good because of the Battle of Okinawa. In the story, Boku suggests to Yacchi that he wants to take Chambers to the spring (177). After Boku knew about the private things of Chambers, he tries to approach Chambers because he wants to cheer Chambers up. He also thinks that Chambers is not the same as other Americans, so he won’t say anyone about the spring. However, Yacchi is totally different, so when Boku suggests the idea to Yacchi, he refuses. Yacchi thinks Chambers is not a friend; rather, he is an American soldier just like the others. He considers all American soldiers as outsiders. Yanai points out that that is because of the Battle of Okinawa. During the war, many Okinawan children saw what did American soldiers did to Okinawan civilians. So, there were walls between Yacchi and the American soldiers. Yanai also discusses the symbolism of the spring and the meaning of puberty. He argues that the spring is their life source which means it is a symbol of sex and life (84).
10. Discussion Questions
1. What is the present referred to in the title? Is Matayoshi being ironic?
2. Why don’t any women appear in the story?
3. How does Chambers view the children in the story?
4. Do you think Chambers is a good guy? Why? Or why not?
5. Why did the narrator want to take Chambers to the spring? Why did Yacchi refuse to do that?
6. Why did Matayoshi tell the story from Boku’s point of view? How would the story change if told from Yacchi’s or Chambers point of view?
7. What does the story suggest about the relationship between Okinawan civilians and American soldiers?
8. Do you think Chambers and the boys became friends? Why or why not?
9. Why did Chambers talk to the boys about his private problems?
10. Why did Yacchi suggest to go to the potato field to get potatoes for Chambers? Is it because he thinks Chambers is his close friend?
11. What did you learn about Iejima’s history from the story?
12. How is the narrator’s view of manliness distorted by his environment?
13. How is the title a hint about the theme?
14. What does the story teach us about manliness?
15. At the end of the story, when Chambers and other American soldiers leave, Boku tries to say goodbye, and waves his hand. Why did Boku do that?
11. Works Cited
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Original Report done by Mami Uehara. Edited and revised by Kasumi Sminkey.