Question

The Artist

Hint:

A summary should condense the main points and themes of a text, offering a brief overview that highlights key events, characters, and ideas without going into too much detail.

Answer 1

Summary: "The Artist" by Shiga Naoya is a story about a talented young Japanese boy named Seibei who is passionate about collecting and polishing gourds. His fascination is not understood by the adults around him, particularly his father and his teacher, who see it as a useless, feminine hobby that distracts him from his studies. After Seibei is caught polishing a gourd in class, his teacher confiscates it and gives it to a porter. The porter later sells the gourd to a curio-dealer for a high price, and it is eventually sold to a wealthy collector for an even larger sum, highlighting the immense artistic value that the adults failed to recognize. The story is a critique of a rigid education system that stifles creativity and individual talent.