5 Questions
Who saves Katsumoto's life during the ninja ambush?
Algren
Katsumoto is executed by the Imperial Army.
False
What is the name of the American military officer who helps Katsumoto?
Algren
The samurai use the Imperial Army's ______________ to lure them into a trap.
overconfidence
Match the characters with their actions:
Algren = helps Katsumoto and joins the samurai Katsumoto = requests a meeting with Emperor Meiji Omura = orders Katsumoto's arrest Bagley = leads the Imperial Army
Study Notes
The Story of Nathan Algren
- Nathan Algren, a former US Army Captain, is a skilled soldier who has become a bitter alcoholic traumatized by the atrocities he committed and witnessed during the American Indian Wars.
- He is approached by his former commanding officer Colonel Bagley to train the newly created Imperial Japanese Army for a Japanese businessman, Omura.
- Algren takes the job for the money and is accompanied to Japan by his old friend, Sergeant Zebulon Gant.
The Imperial Japanese Army and the Samurai
- The imperial soldiers are simply conscripted peasants with shoddy training and little discipline.
- Algren meets Simon Graham, a British translator knowledgeable about the samurai, and learns about the samurai's rebellion against Japan's new emperor.
- Katsumoto, the samurai leader, spares Algren's life and takes him prisoner after a battle.
Algren's Transformation
- Algren is taken in by Taka, Katsumoto's sister and the widow of a samurai killed by Algren, and learns the Japanese language and culture.
- He overcomes his alcoholism and guilt, and is trained in the art of kenjutsu.
- Algren develops sympathy for the samurai, who are upset that the pace of modern technology has eroded the traditions of their society.
The Confrontation
- Omura orders Katsumoto's arrest for carrying a sword in public and tells him to perform seppuku the next day to redeem his honor.
- Algren refuses Bagley's offer to resume command of the army and joins Katsumoto's men to free their leader.
- During the rescue, Katsumoto's son Nobutada is mortally wounded.
The Final Battle
- The samurai use the Imperial Army's overconfidence to lure them into a trap, inflicting massive casualties on both sides.
- Katsumoto orders a suicidal cavalry charge on horseback, and the samurai withstand an artillery barrage and break through Bagley's line.
- Algren kills Bagley, but the samurai are quickly mowed down by Gatling guns.
- Katsumoto, mortally wounded, commits seppuku with Algren's help as the soldiers kneel in respect.
Nathan Algren, a former US Army Captain, is hired to train the Imperial Japanese Army to suppress a samurai rebellion in Japan.
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