Status Updates From How Do You Live?

Reading How Do You Live - Chapter 6

The senior students punched Kitami as punishment for damaging their snowman. Kitami sprawled on the snowy ground with Mizutani and Uragawa shielding Kitami from the barrage of snowballs. Copper wanted to jump in, but fear had claimed his legs. After the incident, the boys went back to the school building together, leaving Copper standing in the yard with his head downcast.

Reading How Do You Live - Chapter 6

On a snowy evening, Copper, Mizutani and Kitami were darting snowballs at each other and running around in the yard. Kitami accidentally damaged a snowman that the senior students made. They demanded that Kitami apologise, and he did. But Kurokawa, the leader, wanted to insult Kitami and put him in his place by pushing further; Kitami stayed silent.

Reading How Do You Live - Chapter 6

Once the third term began, the older students seemed to be too busy with their school entrance exams that rumours of them looking for trouble with the junior students disappeared. But when Copper came across the members of the judo club in the schoolyard, he was still scared by their presence, unlike Kitami, who held his head high whenever he walked past them.

Finished Uncle's notebook - What makes a Great Person: On the life of Napoleon

The uncle told Copper there were small, virtuous people who have the best intentions but who cannot realise them, all because of weakness. The world was full of people who are not bad, but weak, people who bring unnecessary misfortune upon themselves and others for no reason but weakness. His uncle wanted him to remember that.

Finished Uncle's notebook - What makes a Great Person: On the life of Napoleon

In the final chapter of Napoleon's defeat, a ship carrying him, called Bellerophon, was anchored at the mouth of the River Thames. The British who gathered there paid respect to him even if he was their great nemesis. His spirited demeanour touched the hearts of tens of thousands of people and caused them to bow their heads.

Reading Uncle's notebook - What makes a Great Person: On the life of Napoleon

Uncle said that although Napoleon's brilliance shone in human history, the moment he began going against the current of human advancement. His failure began. At first, his accomplishments improved the situation of his people and Europeans. But once his ambitions shifted toward personal gain, he lost the gratitude of many people in society.

Reading Uncle's notebook - What makes a Great Person: On the life of Napoleon

Uncle kept praising Napoleon for his great accomplishments for his country and humanity. In the span of twenty years, he rose to become the Emperor of France and was defeated and exiled to the island of Elba. Even the great German writer Goethe admired Napoleon's boundless vitality and force of will and was moved to tell of it.

Reading Uncle's notebook - What makes a Great Person: On the life of Napoleon

Copper's uncle recounted Napoleon's career to Copper. He was raised in a state of poverty from a fallen noble family. Got into military school and became a second lieutenant. But in a scant ten years, he went from a poor, undistinguished officer whom nobody would look at twice to the throne of the emperor.

Finished How Do You Live - Chapter 5

Upon hearing about the dangerous situation Kitami was facing, Katsuko was indignant and told Kitami not to bow down to the older students. Uragawa suggested that if Kitami was going to get beaten up, all of them should stick with him, even when it meant they would get beaten. Katsuko liked that idea. After they took a pinky-sworn oath, Copper, Kitami and Uragawa returned home.