One of the readings that week was on David Mas Masumoto’s, “Epitaph of a Peach Four Seasons on My Family Farm.” Although Masumoto is in a different position than his workers, he can sympathize and relate to them. Although he is the boss, and they are workers on his peach farm, he shows high respect and consideration for them. We learn that although these different individuals come from different ranks and places in society, they are not so different. An example of this is when Masumoto sits down at the end of a hard day to enjoy a conversation with his workers. Masumoto empathizes with their struggles and wishes that he could pay his workers more. He does his best to make sure his workers are living in humane situations. The most heartwarming moment is when he is offered a beer by his workers but he respectfully declines. The reason why Masumoto declines is not to be rude, but because he put into consideration how many hours of working in the scorching sun, and how many trees they must pick the fruit from in order to earn enough money to buy the six pack of beer. Another way of analyzing his actions would be that he doesn’t want to associate with them, however he does join his workers. His intentions are consideration and empathetic, it is Masumoto’s way of expressing care and understanding towards his workers. This displays how we as individuals are not so different, and can relate to similar feelings even if we belong in different ranks of
One of the readings that week was on David Mas Masumoto’s, “Epitaph of a Peach Four Seasons on My Family Farm.” Although Masumoto is in a different position than his workers, he can sympathize and relate to them. Although he is the boss, and they are workers on his peach farm, he shows high respect and consideration for them. We learn that although these different individuals come from different ranks and places in society, they are not so different. An example of this is when Masumoto sits down at the end of a hard day to enjoy a conversation with his workers. Masumoto empathizes with their struggles and wishes that he could pay his workers more. He does his best to make sure his workers are living in humane situations. The most heartwarming moment is when he is offered a beer by his workers but he respectfully declines. The reason why Masumoto declines is not to be rude, but because he put into consideration how many hours of working in the scorching sun, and how many trees they must pick the fruit from in order to earn enough money to buy the six pack of beer. Another way of analyzing his actions would be that he doesn’t want to associate with them, however he does join his workers. His intentions are consideration and empathetic, it is Masumoto’s way of expressing care and understanding towards his workers. This displays how we as individuals are not so different, and can relate to similar feelings even if we belong in different ranks of