Jacob+H.+~+Nicodemus

Jake Holland Period Three 05/25/10 Compare And Contrast Literary Essay: Ko and Nicodemus In the book So __Far From The Bamboo Grove__ written by author Yoko Kawashima Watkins Ko, a poor Japanese girl scarred by World War II must fight for her life. Nicodemus, a highly intelligent rat from the book __Mrs. Frisby And The Rats Of NIMH__ by Robert C. O’Brian is going to get exterminated if he doesn’t move soon. Both Nicodemus and Ko were very different beings but they also shared many similarities.

For one, Ko was extremely driven both mentally and physically. During her travels she walked approximately five hundred miles without a single complaint out of her mouth. She also endured people who looked at her like she was a monster. Even when Ko’s mother died she stayed tough and sucked it up. On the other hand, Nicodemus is more of a laid back kind of guy. First of all, he stole and used Mr. Fitzgibbon’s electricity and water supply. Plus, when Mrs. Frisby, an intruder, entered his home he was not alarmed or worried. He and all the other rats had the luxurious lifestyle that Ko did not have. Nicodemus also had a ready supply of seeds just in case his plan to move to Thorn Valley had failed. Regardless, Ko was driven and Nicodemus was laid back.

In addition, Ko is very hardworking. She works very hard at school to get good grades. She also makes wares day and night so that she can sell them to support her family. Plus, Ko also has to work at a kimono store after school were she makes and sells kimonos. She’s only a teenager but she has so much on her shoulders. Yet she doesn’t complain. She works hard in everything she does. Likewise, Nicodemus is very hardworking. He plants and harvests his food which is tiring and sometimes frustrating. Nicodemus also moves a cinder block that’s about ten times bigger than he is. He works hard for about half an hour and perserveres with the cinder block until the job is done. And if that’s not enough when he moves to Thorn Valley he digs out a cave for about 120 rats to live in. Nevertheless, both Ko and Nicodemus are hardworking.

Plus, Ko was extremely intelligent. She was top of her class at her university and her success showed it. But she wasn’t just school smart. She was street smart. Back when she, Yoko, and mother were traveling to Japan she showed numerous amounts of intelligence. For example, when they were in the woods and anti-Japanese Korean communists were near, Ko covered Yoko’s mouth before she threw up. That was smart because if the communists heard Yoko they would probably kill or capture Ko, Yoko, and mother. Another showing of intelligence was when Ko piped up that they should cut their hair short and steal the dead soldiers’ uniforms. That way, people would think they were soldiers and not kill them. In like manner, Nicodemus is intelligent. While he was in NIMH, George, Julie, and Dr. Schultz taught him to read. Now, that may not seem like much but you must remember he is a rat. Nicodemus (and Jenner) also skillfully maneuvered a group of twenty rats and eight mice out of a heavily guarded laboratory named NIMH. In addition, Nicodemus taught rat children how to read. Plus, he was the mastermind behind the plan to move to Thorn Valley. He also made plows out of scarce materials so that they could harvest food. Obviously, both Ko and Nicodemus are very intelligent.

Plain and simple, Ko was driven, hardworking, and intelligent. Nicodemus, on the other hand, was laid back, hardworking, and intelligent. All in all, Ko from the book So Far From The Bamboo Grove and Nicodemus from Mrs. Frisby And The Rats of NIMH share many similarities and differences.