Shianna+K.+~Mary+and+Ko

Type in the content of your page here. Shianna Klingle 5-24-10 pd. 2 In the two books __So Far From the Bamboo Grove__ and __Secret Garden__ Ko and Mary are two similar girls but yet have quite a few different characteristics. Ko is from Japan and had to secretly leave her home because Korean soldiers were on the look to kill her and her family. With Mary on the other hand her parents didn’t really acknowledge her and forgot her at the house one day and never came back because they were killed by a disease. Both girls lived similar life styles and have to travel to a new land were they don’t no what will happen or what they are in for. Two of the comparisons they both share are secretive and caring. Ko is secretive because on her whole journey she had to secretive so not only did people find out she wasn’t a Korean but so no one found out that her family and herself were disguised as Korean soldiers so they wouldn’t be killed. She was willing to be so secretive that she cut all her hair so she looked like a guy, as well as wearing big, huge, uncomfortable Korean soldier uniforms they had found on dead soldiers. She was caring because she helped her family by finding food and working to make money as well as raising her sister Yoko when her mother died. Ko did whatever it took to care for her family she ever got down on her hands and knees shining people’s shoes just to make a few yen. That didn’t bother her though she cared for her family dearly and was willing to do whatever it took. Although they have similarities they also share differences like Ko is respectful and Mary is not respectful. Respectful is a big trait for Ko because she did whatever was expected from her like finding food in the cornfield since Hideyo her brother wasn’t there to be the leader. She communicated to her family by saying honorable father, brother, mother, and sister. She bowed to her elders and even when she didn’t agree with something like pretending to be a man she was respectful and did it anyway because she new it was best for her family. Now we have Mary who is also very secretive and caring, similar to Ko. Mary is secretive practically her whole journey at the manor because she discovered the beauty of the secret garden. She didn’t tell anyone until later on and the people she did tell she trusted dearly and that was only the animals and three other humans. Although she trusted them she was one- hundred percent positive they wouldn’t spill her secret. Not only that but she was secretive by sneaking around the large manor exploring all the hundreds of rooms that haven’t even been seen in years. Mary was also very caring. At first she was a mean grump but as time went on she found out what it was like to be cared for and what it is like to care for others. Colin, her guardian’s son was very mean and whined whenever he didn’t get his way. Everyone thought he was going to die because he wasn’t healthy and had a lump in his back. He was convinced until he met Mary. When he met Mary she cared for him everyday by talking to him about positive things like how great it is out on the moor with all the animals and how wonderful the fresh air is. She never talked to him about negative things like dying. Mary was so caring for Colin she told him her secret about the secret garden and got him to go outside to the place that he had truly disliked the moor. After a while in Mary’s care he was as healthy as a ox and Mary looked at his back and the was no lump. In no time Colin was a nice and caring person. Even though Mary has these nice characteristics she was also not respectful. Mary was a mean girl to all the people she met at the manor until she really got to no them. When Martha her maid tried to help her establish good learning skills like how to dress herself and how to go outside and play to become healthy all she did was give attitude and say “I hate the moor.” Sometimes she even just sat there and ignored her. Mary was not respectful at all when she first met Martha or anyone. As you can see Ko and Mary are similar but do have different character traits. Ko and Mary are both secretive and caring but yet there different because Ko is respectful and Mary is not.

BY: Shianna Klingle