The Last Samurai by Helen DeWitt is a story following the life of young Ludo. His single mother raises him to value education above all. More importantly Ludo is highly gifted, but he becomes obsessed with achievement and convinced that he's far more intelligent than anyone around him. Before setting off to Cambridge, Ludo sets off on a quest to find his biological father, writing a list of six candidates who seem like noteworthy enough men to be his father. After meeting each of the six, Ludo is convinced that none of them are truly his father, even though one of them is. He determines to make his own way in life, realizing that he is already capable or at least capable of learning to excel in whatever he tries. He does, however, ask Yamamoto, one of the six, to become his mentor.
Ludo's story demonstrates the value of education. As the child of a single mother, he is disadvantaged in life. She teaches him to pursue education as a sort of safeguard, as a thing which will open doors that no one can ever take from him because he possesses the knowledge in his head and the skills in his body. Ludo takes this so seriously that he determines to become the absolute best at whatever he tries.
This attitude of superiority soon lands him in trouble when Ludo's quest to find his father is so often disappointment. He learns that his judgmental and high expectations are preventing him from using his education well and to help people. In response, Ludo determines to become like a samurai, whom he grew up admiring. He will be an honorable man, self-reliant and helpful to people. His education does serve him, but only when Ludo stops serving his education as more important than either his own desires or relationships with the people around him.
