40 pages • 1 hour read
Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes
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Chapter 8-EpilogueChapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 8 Summary: “Last Days”
In July, Sadako’s appetite improves, and her pain lessens. As a result, the doctor decides that she can return home for a visit, and Sadako is able to celebrate O Bon with her family, “a special celebration for spirits of the dead who returned to visit those they had loved on earth” (54). Mrs. Sasaki hangs a lantern outside their house to guide the spirits home, and the family places sweets on the altar for the ghosts of their ancestors. Over several days, many relatives and friends visit the Sasaki family, and Sadako grows wan and weary. Mr. Sasaki upsets his wife by calling Sadako’s new quiet state good manners. Sadako wishes she could return to her old energetic self and ease her mother’s worries.
The next day, Sadako returns to the hospital, and her parents stay at her bedside for hours. She asks them if they’ll put her favorite sweets on the family altar for her spirit when she dies. Her father urges her to hold onto hope and finish her cranes. Sadako tells her Kokeshi doll she’ll get better and “race like the wind” (55).
Sadako’s condition deteriorates, requiring shots and blood transfusions nearly daily. She endures both the physical pain and the fear of dying with patience. The golden crane helps her remain hopeful. During the final visit with her entire family, the Sasakis bring Sadako a present, a silk kimono with a pattern of cherry blossoms made by Mrs. Sasaki herself. Sadako tears up when she sees the expensive gift. Her mother helps her put the kimono on, and everyone compliments her appearance. The doctor permits Chizuko to visit her best friend, and everyone plays games and sings songs together while Sadako does her best to conceal her pain from her loved ones. After Chizuko and the Sasakis leave, Sadako folds her 644th and final crane.
Chapter 9 Summary: “Racing With the Wind”
As the weeks pass and Sadako grows weaker, she tries to steer her thoughts away from the subject of death, but this is “like trying to stop the rain from falling” (60). She wonders if she’ll go to heaven and whether dying is painful or peaceful. In mid-October, she fades in and out of consciousness. One day, she awakens to see her mother weeping and begs her not to cry. Sadako attempts to make more cranes so that she can wish for a miracle, but she no longer has the dexterity to fold the birds. A doctor encourages her to rest and try again tomorrow.
When she awakens, she sees her family gathered around her. She smiles, knowing she will always be “part of that warm, loving circle” (62). In her final moments, she takes strength and courage from touching the golden crane and watching the beautiful paper birds she made dance freely in an autumn breeze.
Epilogue Summary
Sadako died on October 25, 1955, at age 12. Her classmates folded 356 paper birds so she could be buried with 1,000 cranes. They also shared her story with the world by compiling her letters and journal into a book called Kokeshi, which the author consulted when writing this novel. In 1958, a statue of Sadako holding a golden crane was raised in Hiroshima Peace Park to honor her and all the other children who lost their lives to the atomic bomb. To this day, visitors leave paper cranes at the base of the statue, which is engraved with the following words: “This is our cry, this is our prayer; peace in the world” (64).
Chapter 8-Epilogue Analysis
The novel’s last section presents Sadako’s final months and her lasting influence as a symbol of peace. These chapters develop the theme of War’s Impact on Children by describing the physical pain leukemia causes Sadako and how death weighs on her thoughts. Coerr uses symbolism and the seasons to reinforce this section’s exploration of death. For example, Chapter 8 presents the holiday of O Bon, “a special celebration for spirits of the dead who returned to visit those they had loved on earth” (54). This summer holiday brings Sadako comfort by reminding her that she will remain an important and beloved part of her family after her death. Autumn is often used to connote decline and death in literature. The author uses the maple tree to represent the season and emphasize the air of finality when Sadako’s best friend and her entire family gather to see her in the hospital one last time: “The leaves on the maple tree were turning rust and gold when the family came for one last visit” (56).
The motif of cranes continues to play an important part in developing the themes, characters, and plot. In Chapter 8, Mr. Sasaki appeals to the cranes when Sadako brings up the subject of her mortality. This is similar to how Nurse Yasunaga responded when Sadako broached the topic in Chapter 6. Like the nurse, Mr. Sasaki uses the paper cranes to cope with his grief and urge his daughter to hold onto hope. In a touching scene in Chapter 9, seeing her mother cry at her bedside moves Sadako to tears, and the girl attempts to comfort Mrs. Sasaki by folding a paper crane: “A tear slid down her cheek. She had brought her mother so much grief. And all Sadako could do now was make paper cranes and hope for a miracle” (60). Sadako endures her suffering with patience and courage and is more concerned about how her condition affects others than for herself.
The novel’s final chapter, “Racing With the Wind,” brings the story full circle by calling to mind Sadako’s vitality and dream of joining the racing team at the novel’s start. In Chapter 8, Sadako says she will race like the wind when she gets better and leaves the hospital. In the end, the chapter title represents her freedom from suffering. Sadako’s final moments are filled with peace, love, and beauty. The author uses precise adjectives to set the mood and express the comfort Sadako gains from her family’s love and the paper cranes: Her family members are “a warm, loving circle” (62), and the birds are “beautiful and free” (63). The cranes remain a powerful motif of hope and perseverance to the very end. In Coerr’s telling of events, Sadako only folds 644 paper cranes, and her classmates complete the rest of the 1,000. However, according to The Complete Story of Sadako Sasaki, written by Sadako’s older brother, Masahiro, she exceeded her goal of making 1,000 cranes.
The epilogue provides more information about the true story of Sadako Sasaki and gives added insight into the themes. Sadako’s classmates took their grief and love for their friend and used them to teach the world a powerful lesson. Sadako’s story remains a somber warning about the cost of war and a rallying call to those who hope for peace.
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