Summary Of Obasan By Joy Kogawa

The pearl harbour attack initiated by Japan to America happened during the second world war in 1941. The war brought devastation and separations in the lives of many Japanese Canadians. The book Obasan is an eye-opener to how Japanese Canadians endured through the pearl harbour attack. The book written by Joy Kogawa shares an insight on the treatment of Japanese, and the effects war brought upon a race and a family. The novel is learnt through the first-person point of view, effective use of flashbacks, and a central theme of silence. Obasan is one of many stories that reminds the society of its faulty history.

To begin with, Obasan is from the first-person view of Naomi. Naomi is a thirty-six-year-old elementary teacher who has just discovered of her uncle's death. In sequences of the novel, Naomi takes her readers' through a personal experience of life during pearl harbour and her opinions on her family's experience. From Naomi's point of

Naomi's parent and family members kept the truth from Naomi and her brother because they considered them too young to know the truth. As a result, this act of silence hinders Naomi from discovering the truth about her mother's disappearance. Naomi's mother and Obasan remained quiet because they believed that was the only way to survive in a harsh world. Naomi declares, "Silent Mother, you do not speak or write. you do not reach through the night to enter morning, but remain in voicelessness." (Chapter 38, page 265). Following in the footprints of Obasan and her Mother, Naomi stays quiet regarding her gory dreams and defilement by Old Man Gower. However, Aunt Emily disapproves of silence. Aunt Emily believes every story should be voiced out and recognized. Silence helped Obasan in raising up Naomi and her brother Stephen, but it also kept them from knowing the truth about their parents. In the world of Obasan, words carry weight; Silence is either mastered or it becomes a