Page "Sessue Hayakawa" Paragraph 5

From early on Hayakawa was groomed for a career as a naval officer.

However at the age of 17, he took a schoolmate's dare to swim to the bottom of a lagoon ( he grew up in a shellfish diving community ) and ruptured his eardrum.

He had been studying at the Naval Academy in Etajima but his record of perfect health was now shattered and he failed the navy's rigorous physical.

His formerly proud father was now ashamed and embarrassed by his son.

Their relationship became strained.