Throughout the book, Akira Kurosawa maintains a sort of bemused, precise tone. Occasionally, though, the death of a loved one will elicit some deep emotional response. Write an essay detailing three of these occasions:

Part 1) Why does Akira Kurosawa only mention one of his sisters in the book? What is special about this particular sister, and what role did she play in young Akira's life? What particular elements of her death does the author mention, and how does this description affect him even as he writes them?

Part 2) Who is Aunt Togashi, and why is she so dear to young Akira? How old was she when she died, and what does Kurosawaa suspect was the cause of her death? What emotion does this elicit, and how is it different from the one his sister's death elicited?

Part 3) Discuss the profound impact Akira's father's death had on him as an adult. What action did Akira take upon receiving word of his father's passing? What experience did he have the next morning,a nd how was he able to convert it into a work of cinematic art?

Essay Topic 2

Akira Kurosawa makes a series of honest admissions about his personal failings throughout his autobiography, but he invariably includes a defense of these faults in the course of the admission. Write an essay about three such admissions and their defenses:

Part 1) What is the exact nature of Akira Kurosawa's physical weakness? How does it affect his ability to succeed in certain realms? Couched in his admission that he was physically weak, what strengths does the author assert? Discuss the physical exploits that Akira insists he accomplished as a teenager.

Part 2) When discussing the beginning of his directing career, Akira admits that he is a stubborn man with an awful temper. Why does he feel the need to tell the reader this? Does is inform some of the bold and often ill-conceived decisions he makes on set? Does it add some context to his unbridled success?

Part 3) At the very end of SOMETHING LIKE AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY, Kurosawa admits to being a fantastic egotist. What indications of this fact are there throughout the narrative of the book? What final act of egotistical indignation perfectly illustrates this self-regard? How has it served him well in his early career?

Essay Topic 3

Akira Kurosawa's SOMETHING LIKE AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY deals with the author's transition from insecure child to confident - even egotistical - adult. Write an essay about three defining and transforming moments in this transition:

Part 1) Akira is a crybaby and a weakling when he enters Mr. Tachikawa's class. What talents and opportunities does Mr. Tachikawa's instruction open up to him? How does Mr. Tachikawa empower both Akira and Uekusa? How does the teacher remain a fixture in the author's life for decades following?

Part 2) What are Akira's faults and weaknesses when Mr. Iwamatsu becomes his teacher? How does Mr. Iwamatsu foster his desire to learn in the midst of a rebellious phase? How does the author's skills improve over the course of his time with this teacher?

Part 3) How does Kajiro Yamamoto prove pivotal to the author's development as an artist? What role does Akira play on Kajiro Yamamoto's sets? Discuss the film skills that Akira develops under this director and how Yamamoto continues to play a role in his life.

(see the answer keys)

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