Description
“In a Grove” (also translated as “In a Bamboo Grove”) is a Japanese short story by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa that challenges readers to question truth, perspective, and reliability. The story is structured around seven conflicting testimonies, each recounting the same crime from a different point of view and delivered to a silent authority figure such as a priest or police official.
As students move through each account, they are tasked with examining contradictions, motives, bias, and deception, making this text especially engaging and discussion-driven. The fragmented structure encourages close reading and critical thinking as students attempt to determine what really happened—or whether an objective truth is even possible.
This lesson guides students through background knowledge, vocabulary development, and careful analysis of each testimony, helping them understand how point of view and unreliable narration shape meaning in literature.
Content Warning: This story contains a mention of sexual assault, and teachers are encouraged to review the text in advance to determine suitability for their students.
This resource includes a teacher guide, an introduction lesson with background information, academic vocabulary, the full text of the story, an anticipation guide, reading and analysis questions, an answer key, and an editable copy of the student activities so teachers can adapt the lesson as needed.
This lesson is an excellent choice for units on world literature, point of view, narrative structure, or moral ambiguity, and works well in middle or high school ELA classrooms.
