Characters
Who is the main character who loves his mother and works as a farmer?
Who is the son?
Where does the store take place?
In a small village in Japan.
What is the main theme of the story?
Respect your elders.
What kind of work does the son do?
He is a farmer?
What is one of Japan’s most important crops?
Rice
Who gives the farmer the smart answers that save the village?
Who is the wise old woman?
What law did the lord create about old people?
They must be taken to the mountains and left to die.
What lesson does the farmer’s bravery teach us?
To stand up for what’s right even when it’s difficult
What does the mother teach her son about farming?
How to plant water and care for the land.
Why is rice farming important in Japan?
It provides food jobs and it’s part of Japanese traditions.
Who made the law that old people must be left to die?
Who is the young lord?
How does the farmer protect his mother?
He hides her in a secret space under his house.
Why is wisdom compared to seeds or roots?
Both grow overtime and help others
How does farming relate to the theme of patience?
Farmers must wait for their crops to grow just like you have to wait on wisdom.
What type of land is often used in rice farming in Japan?
Terraced fields built on Hillsides.
What does the lord learn about older people at the end?
that they are wise and deserve respect.
What task does a wise old woman help solve with ashes?
Making a rope.
What does the story suggest about the balance between youth and age?
Young people have strength, but elders have wisdom.
what do the crops in soil represent in the story?
The wisdom that supports new generations and growth.
What challenges do Japanese farmers face because of the countries’s geography?
Japan has many mountains and little flat land so farming space is limited.
How do the farmers and the lord‘s actions show their character growth?
The farmer shows courage and love while the Lord learns compassion and respect for others.
What does the stories ending teach about leadership?
Good leaders listen to others and value wisdom.
What might happen to a community that ignores his elders?
The community could lose his history, wisdom, and problem solving skills.
How is the farmers care for his mother like caring for crops?
Both task required love and attention.
How does Japanese agriculture connect to The Wise Old Woman?
Both show the value of hard work, tradition, and passing down wisdom through generations.