Symbolism In Julie Otsuka's When The Emperor

When the Emperor was divine is a very interesting book. It explains the story of the WW1 internment camps from the point of view of the Japanese people and what they went through. It also includes many forms of symbolism that can completely change the story’s meaning. It also tries to imply how “American” the Japanese-American internees really were.
A lot of symbolism is used in the book and can completely change the story’s meaning by implying different hidden meanings to the story. To begin with, the dog's name was, “White Dog” (p9-12). The girl’s favorite song on the radio was “Don’t Fence Me In” and “The Dark Stain” at the Joe Lundy’s place, that “would not go away” (pg 5) have a much bigger meaning. The “dark stain” foreshadows that

It foreshadows the fate of the Japanese-American families living in the United States during the war. The mother’s attitude of what the internment camps are going to be like is an understatement because she told her children that they would only be going for a little while, and that it would almost be like a little vacation, but in reality, this would be a horrifically inaccurate description of what it was going to be like for them. Water, although a simple necessity that we all have access to, is a symbol of hope and survival for the Japanese-Americans’ race. For them, the water was never too cold, too clean, but were still allowed some with every meal, and that helped them feel fine after

When “She got off at Kittredge and went into J.F. Hink’s department store and asked the salesman if...sold out all over town.”(pg. 6). This shows how “American” they are because she is shopping in two American. Another instance where this is shown is when the girl saw another five-year old girl playing with “a dirty doll on the floor” on the train. “Mama bought her for me from the Sears catalog”(pg 35) shows how “American” they were because the small girl’s mother bought the doll from the Sears catalog, because Sears is an American