“Foraging in the woods and rubbish heaps, gathering fallen grain-heads in the autumn—these were honorable ways to garner a meal, requiring time and work. But stealing and begging, Crane-man said, made a man no better than a dog. ‘Work gives a man dignity, stealing takes it away,’ he often said.”

From the very start of the book, Tree-ear is concerned about stealing. Thieves will figure prominently in the book’s conclusion, but initially, Tree-ear is fearful that he himself might be a thief after his encounter with the farmer and after spying on Kang. His acute concern indicates that he has a conscience. Thieves do not.

“Tree-ear thought of something his friend often said: Scholars read the great words of the world. But you and I must learn to read the world itself.”

As an orphan, Tree-ear needs to live by his wits every day. He must interpret other people’s behavior as either threatening or friendly. Scholars have the luxury of getting their information second-hand. Children without parental protectors do not.

“Working without walls meant that Min possessed great skill and the confidence to match it. Potters guarded their secrets jealously […] Min did not seem to care about such secrecy. It was as if he were saying, Go ahead, watch me. No matter—you will not be able to imitate my skill.”

While the quote before this one suggests that Tree-ear has the capacity to read the world, this passage demonstrates that skill. He has inferred Min’s attitude about his craft by simply watching the man work. What’s more, Tree-ear learns a great deal about Min’s character by observing his physical bearing.