Tomomi selects The Forty-Seven Ronin and The Double Suicide at Sonezaki for the kabuki troupe’s performances, both of which have special significance. What are the similarities between his own life and values and those espoused by the plays’ plots?

How does the novel explore notions of personal honor and family honor? In what ways do these forms of honor sometimes conflict with one another?

How is Michiko, the paper merchant’s daughter, characterized? What is her wider significance in the text?