Ethical Issues In Farewell To Manzanar

1. The central moral or ethical problem explored in Farewell to Manzanar is the isolation the Watatsuki family experiences. The time period the book was written in was difficult because of racial issues and constantly moving around looking for jobs, in other words, living like a migrant worker. “The people who had it hardest during the first months were young couples like these, many of whom had married just before the evacuation.” (21) This quote shows couples were being separated unless they were legally married. It was also hard to keep families with children together. The problem is not resolved for all, but for Jeanne, since the camp changed her as a person, she became less dependent of other people. She was getting older, and was in the process of learning who she is as an individual and getting an attitude along the way.

The major conflict that impacts Jeanne is always being on the move and being different from other people. Jeanne’s parents were also working every day, which meant she had those days sometimes to herself. Over a period of time, she was gaining independence and self-confidence and strength, but her problem during this was isolation. “Though I was only seven, my images of certain from this period are very precise, because I had begun to see adults for the very first time.” (40) Jeanne was not able to live a life with the other people, and seems like she didn’t explore much. As a result, she changes by becoming an independent young lady.

3. The passage in Farewell to Manzanar that stood out most to me is, “When your mother and father are having a fight do you want them killing each other? Or do you just want them to stop fighting?” (64) This quote means that Jeanne wants her parents to stop fighting with each other, and her father to stop being so violent. along with that, an abundance of other people can relate to how she feels about her parents