The Aged Mother Flashcards
by Matsuo Basho — tap or click to flip
Flashcard Review
Flashcards: The Aged Mother
What cruel proclamation does the governor of Shining issue?
He orders that all aged people in the province must be immediately put to death.
Where does the farmer carry his mother, and what is the mountain called?
He carries her to the summit of Obatsuyama, which means "the mountain of the abandoning of the aged."
What does the mother do with twigs as her son carries her up the mountain?
She snaps twigs from bushes and drops small piles at frequent intervals to mark the path so her son can safely find his way back down.
What causes the farmer to change his mind about abandoning his mother?
When she tells him to follow the twig piles home, he sees her scratched and soiled hands and realizes she spent the entire climb thinking only of his safety, not her own.
Where does the farmer hide his mother after bringing her back?
He hides her in a walled closet for food beneath the kitchen floor, concealed from view.
What impossible task does the governor demand of his subjects?
He demands that they present him with a rope made of ashes.
How is the rope of ashes successfully made?
The mother instructs her son to twist straw into a rope, stretch it on flat stones, and burn it on a windless night, preserving the rope shape in ash.
What happens when the governor learns the wisdom came from the aged mother?
He realizes that Shining needs more than youthful strength, quotes the saying "with the crown of snow, there cometh wisdom," and abolishes the cruel law.
How is the farmer characterized at the beginning of the story?
He is a poor but humble and peaceful man who loves his widowed mother with tender reverence.
What motivates the governor to issue the decree against the elderly?
He has a cowardly fear of anything suggestive of failing health and strength.
How does the aged mother demonstrate selflessness throughout the story?
Even while being carried to her death, she focuses on her son's safety by marking the path with twigs, and later she saves the entire province by solving the rope of ashes puzzle.
How does the farmer's character develop over the course of the story?
He transforms from a dutiful subject who obeys the governor without question into someone who defies authority to protect his mother, choosing love over law.
What does the governor's transformation at the end reveal about his character?
It shows he is capable of wisdom and humility -- once confronted with proof of elders' value, he admits his error and reverses his own law.
How does the story develop the theme of filial piety?
The farmer's devotion to his mother drives every major choice: he weeps carrying her up the mountain, risks his life hiding her, and ultimately saves the province because he refused to abandon her.
What does the story argue about the wisdom of the elderly?
It argues that experience and age produce irreplaceable wisdom, as shown when the mother's cleverness solves a problem no one else in the province can.
How does the story contrast power with wisdom?
The governor wields absolute power but lacks wisdom, issuing destructive decrees, while the powerless aged mother possesses the wisdom that ultimately saves the province.
What is the central moral conflict the farmer faces?
He must choose between obeying the governor's law, which demands his mother's death, and following his own conscience, which tells him to protect her.
What do the piles of twigs symbolize in the story?
They symbolize a mother's selfless love -- even facing death, she thinks only of guiding her son to safety.
What is ironic about the governor's rope of ashes challenge?
The impossible task meant to demonstrate his power is solved only by the wisdom of an elderly person -- the very group he ordered killed.
What narrative point of view is used in "The Aged Mother"?
Third-person omniscient, allowing the reader to know both the mother's secret twig-dropping and the son's inner anguish.
How does the story use the fable structure to convey its message?
It follows the classic fable pattern: a simple narrative with archetypal characters (cruel ruler, devoted son, wise elder) that ends with an explicit moral lesson about valuing the elderly.
What does "with the crown of snow, there cometh wisdom" mean?
It is a proverb meaning that old age (white hair like a crown of snow) brings wisdom and should be respected, not feared.
What does the word "despotic" mean as used to describe the governor?
It means ruling with absolute power and authority, often cruelly and without regard for the people's welfare.
What does "filial piety" mean in the context of this story?
It refers to the deep respect, obedience, and devotion a child shows toward a parent -- the core virtue the farmer demonstrates.
What is the significance of the mother's words, "Let not thine eyes be blinded, my son"?
On the surface she warns him to watch the path carefully, but it also carries a deeper meaning: do not let grief or obedience to unjust laws blind you to what is right.
What does the farmer mean when he cries, "Oh, Honorable mother, your kindness breaks my heart! I will not leave you"?
He is overwhelmed that his mother spent her final journey ensuring his safety, and this selfless love gives him the courage to defy the governor's order.
What is the significance of the governor saying, "Shining needs more than strength of youth"?
It marks his recognition that wisdom and experience are as vital to the province as physical strength, directly reversing his earlier belief that the elderly are worthless.