Symbolism and Irony in Yamada's "A Bedtime Story"

Introduction: The Story Within a Story

In the poem A Bedtime Story by Mitsuye Yamada, a father relates an "old Japanese legend" to his young daughter (2). The legend involves an old woman who seeks shelter in "many small villages," looking for a place to stay for the night (6). In response to her petitions, "each door opened...then closed" (9; 12). Finally, after an evening of rejections, the old woman climbs a hill and lays down to rest. When she reaches the top, the full moon peeks out from behind a cloud and she is overcome with gratitude. She calls out "in supplication" and in immense thankfulness for having been refused a place to stay (29). Were it not for the villagers' refusals, she might never have beheld the natural beauty of the full moon.

When the father recounts this tale to his daughter in modern-day Seattle, the meaning of the story falls on deaf ears. "That's the end?" the girl says to her Papa (45). The 45-line free verse poem encompasses the irony inherent in the story-within-a-story, as both the narrator and the old woman perceive the world from a hilltop vantage point. The hilltop becomes a symbolic place that links the old woman and the young girl who, although she cannot fully appreciate the old woman's sense of gratitude at simply seeing the moon, nevertheless appreciates the "comfort of our / hilltop home" (41–42). Through such poignant symbolism and irony, Yamada conveys the dichotomy between old and young generations. Yamada's brief poem examines the conflicts between the ancient and the modern worlds, and between their corresponding mystical and material worldviews.

The Hilltop as Symbol of Perception and Enlightenment

In A Bedtime Story, the hilltop becomes the primary symbol of awareness, perception, and enlightenment. A hilltop is an optimal vantage point—a place of safety as well as heightened perception. From the top of a hill, a person can gain perspective on life and understand the bigger picture. When the old woman reaches the top of the hill, she is initially physically exhausted. After "wearily" climbing the hill, she has to "lay down to rest / a few moments to catch / her breath" (15; 17–19). However, the old woman is psychologically and spiritually strong, for when she catches sight of the full moon shining down upon the town, she is overcome with love and gratitude.

The material comfort of a bed suddenly pales in comparison with the spiritual comfort of her natural surroundings, and from her literal and symbolic vantage point the woman truly appreciates life. Her attention shifts from needfulness to thankfulness; she has gone from a beggar to one who can fully receive. The hilltop enabled her to witness the true meaning of comfort and peace from both an actual and a metaphorical high point. As scholars of Japanese American literature have noted, Yamada frequently draws on contrasts between inherited cultural wisdom and the pressures of modern American life.

The Young Girl's Materialism vs. the Old Woman's Gratitude

The old woman's appreciation for the simple yet powerful comfort of the full moon contrasts sharply with the young girl's dismissal of the story. When she hears this legend, the girl "shouted" at her father for a more dramatic ending. "That's the end?" is the last line of the poem, driving home the main theme (45). Young people growing up with the material comforts of the modern world can often fail to appreciate the subtle moments that offer spiritual solace—moments such as those enjoyed by the old woman. Moreover, the young girl takes for granted the comforts of her particular hilltop home.

For the young girl, a hilltop means little more than a place from which to look down on the world. The old woman, on the other hand, was also able to use the hilltop as a place from which to look upward. Whereas the old woman's vantage point offered her a widened—and wizened—perspective of the world, the young girl's vantage point seems narrow and insular by comparison. This generational gap in perception forms the emotional core of the poem, reflecting a broader tension between inherited wisdom and contemporary expectation.

Conclusion: Generational Divide and Yamada's Craft

The language Yamada uses to describe the old woman's gratitude is inherently ironic. The woman addresses the villagers directly: "If it had not been for your / kindness / in refusing me a bed.../ these humble eyes would never / have seen this / memorable sight" (33–35; 37–39). It was not out of kindness that the villagers turned the old woman away. However, from her elevated vantage point she can perceive their actions as resulting in a gift. She received something magnificent under the open sky precisely because of—rather than in spite of—their lack of generosity.

Mitsuye Yamada's poem A Bedtime Story conveys two disparate worldviews. Although the old woman and the young girl both look down at the world from the top of a hill, they perceive the universe in wholly different ways. The old woman's eyes are "humble," and the young girl's are not. From her comfortable vantage point in her Seattle home, the young girl literally and symbolically looks down on a simpler lifestyle and a simpler outlook on life. The individual differences between the woman and the girl sum up the differences between generations, and between the ancient and modern worlds.

The old woman possesses eyes humble enough to be grateful for having no place to stay for the night; were it not for her being stranded out in the open, she would never have come to appreciate the wonder of the natural world. The young girl, by contrast, can appreciate only the comforts of the material world and fails to find meaning in the story told to her by her father. To convey the central theme, Yamada uses a compelling form of free verse, with short lines, no rhyme scheme, and occasional alliteration. The structure of the poem—in which a story is told within a story—is a unique and powerful vessel through which to impart its theme and central message.