Sadako was born to be a runner. Her mother always said that Sadako had learned to run before she could walk. One morning in August 1954, Sadako ran outside into the street as soon as she was dressed.
Sadako's dream of running has always been in her life and the excitement she feels is evident in this line. Right before she got sick was when she really realized how much she loved running and the clarity and the light and happy mood this brings masks the later events in this book, but also shows the happiness that Sadako feels throughout the book.
Near the end of July it was warm and sunny. Sadako seemed to be getting better. “I’m over halfway to one thousand cranes,” she told Masahiro, “so something good is going to happen.”
Sadko getting better is a facade and a bit of false hope for both Sadako and the reader, and the author is trying to keep up the happy and resilient mood that Sadako brings throughout the story while she is suffering from her cancer. She really believes the legend about the cranes, and it gives her motivation to finish the cranes and provides a distraction from the hospital setting and the fact that she has cancer.
As Sadako grew weaker, she thought more about death. Would she live on a heavenly mountain? Did it hurt to die? Or was it like falling asleep?
By this point Sadako knows that she is going to die and she is wondering what will happen. This brings a more childlike perspective to the story, because of the fact that she is wondering about death. Additionally this may also be because she is a little scared about the possibility of death and a life cut short.
