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| Obasan
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Contents
1. Introduction
2. The historical background
3. “Obasan” as a means of cultural reconciliation
4. Conclusion
5. Bibliography
Introduction
The world history is notorious for numerous humanitarian catastrophes.
Unfortunately not all of them are widely known and as a rule
people prefer not to discuss them if they did not suffer from
any of it. Basically human social and cultural tragedies occur
in the result of a war.
In fact the problem is that many people remembers the winners
in the war and they think a little about those who have lost
but what is really seldom is the analysis of the fate of the
people originating from the enemy country and living in a
country against which the country of their ancestors declared
the war. It is exactly the fate of such people that Joy Kogawa
traces in the book “Obasan”, to put it more precisely
the author reveals the story of Japanese Canadians and their
life in Canada during the World War II.
In this book Joy Kogawa goes beyond a simple description of
fate of the whole national group of Japanese Canadians but
what is probably more important the author rather poses questions
and dilemmas the readers are supposed to answer themselves.
One of the central points of the whole book is the power of
cultural production, which can result in re-evaluation of
some stereotypes that have been created because of some extraordinary
circumstances and change the attitude of representatives of
different nations to each other. In general, the author obviously
make the readers think about universal human values which
are absolutely identical for all people, regardless their
origin and in the same time all people are equal and cannot
be repressed as it occurred to Japanese Canadians in the World
War II and a few years after its end and it seems that the
only thing that can effectively provide such social and national
harmony is really democratic society, deprived prejudices
and stereotypes.
The historical background
Before discussing the work of Joy Kogawa and its main points,
particularly those concerning the role of culture, it is necessary
to dwell upon some historical details of the epoch and events
depicted in the book.
First of all, it should be said that the theme and the plot
of the book is very close to the author, who, being Japanese
Canadian, knows quite well what were the sufferance of his
people. Naturally it produces a dubious effect since, on the
one hand, it adds some subjectivity to the book and perception
as well as interpretation of the events that occurred during
the epoch discussed, on the other hand there is probably no
other author who could reveal the entity of the problem and
show its terrible aspects, which, in all probability, would
not be so obvious for the authors of a different origin. In
such a way a reader can have a wonderful opportunity to look
at the situation from within.
So, what happened than to Japanese Canadian during the World
War II? In fact the answer is not very pleasant to here, especially
nowadays, when Canada is considered to belong to the number
of democratic counties. As it is well-known, Japan entered
the World War II and attacked the US Pearl Harbour and after
that the US had to declare the war on Japan. Canada, being
a part of the Anglo-Saxon world and having close political,
economic and cultural relations with the US and the UK could
not do anything but join the war too. At this point the tragedy
of Japanese Canadians starts. They were perceived as enemies
in the country where many of them were born and in actuality
they were not less Canadian than any other citizens of Canada.
However, such attitude to Japanese Canadians was basically
formed by war propaganda, which officials supported in order
to justify Canadian entering the war. As a result public opinion
had a kind of extremist character. Not surprisingly that such
a policy led to the internment of Japanese Canadians and their
practical isolation from the rest of the Canadian society.
Obviously the position of Japanese Canadians was unreasonably
deteriorated and was absolutely unacceptable for democratic
society. In the same time they became a kind of outcasts that
led not only to their isolation but to the cultural conflict
since rich Japanese culture was rejected by Canadian society
while Japanese Canadians could not live otherwise forgetting
their culture and traditions. The situation remained unchanged
until 1949 when the policy of internment and deprivation had
finally stopped and Japanese Canadians eventually had got
an opportunity to develop their culture freely and integrate
into Canadian society.
“Obasan” as a means of cultural reconciliation
Speaking about “Obasan” it is necessary to emphasize
that the book is an autobiographic note but its main goal
is not to reveal the story of sufferings of Japanese Canadians
during the World War II but it rather aims at the cultural
and moral reconciliation of Japanese Canadians and the rest
of Canadian society. At this respect a story told in the novel
is thought provoking and emphasizing the necessity to respect
the culture of every community populating the country.
As for the story depicted in the novel, the story is told
by Naomi, a schoolteacher, who is looking back at her past
and attempts to understand what happened to her and her compatriots
in the World War II and especially she is concerned about
the fate of her mother whom she lost. The reason of such a
lost is quite tragic but in the same time it does not depend
on the main characters of the story, it is the war that separated
the family leaving the mother in Japan and the rest of the
family in Canada. Quite symbolically that the mother goes
to the land of her ancestors, underlying the cultural unity
with the country of her origin and with her past. In the same
time she also is a symbol of an exiled Japanese culture, which,
as it turns to be, has no room for development in Canada and
the Japanese Canadian community has no opportunities for normal
cultural and social integration in Canadian society after
the war has broken out.
In the same time in the centre of the book remains another
character Obasan, the aunt of Naomi who is a kind of a guardian
of old Japanese traditions in Canada and who tends to ignore
all the problems Japanese Canadian faces, or, as Naomi says,
she responds to the injustice and hardships by turning to
stone. In such a way the author probably intended to show
that Japanese culture remains untouchable and develops independently
regardless the efforts to isolate Japanese Canadians and make
their life unbearable in a kind of ghettos they had to live
during and a few years after the war. Another fact that underlines
the role of Obasan as a guardian or keeper of Japanese culture
and traditions is the fact that she cannot or does not want
to explain Naomi what happened but she possesses the box of
letters and diaries of another aunt Emily, in which she recorded
the events of that epoch. On reading these letters and diaries
Naomi gets acquainted with appalling details of the past and
realizes what has happened during the World War II to her
family and to Japanese Canadians at large.
Further, on reading the novel, it becomes obvious to what
extent unjust and intolerant was attitude to Japanese Canadians
in the period of the World War II. The book reveals how much
Japanese Canadians were devoted to the land they live or used
to live and they are ready to help regardless their current
situation. At this respect the episode when Naomi told by
her aunt. Naomi says that “she told me that when the
Fraser Valley flooded and the land that had once belonged
to Japanese Canadians was under water, there was a public
outpouring of help to the farmers and residents of the area”
(Kogawa). Moreover, she continues ‘We sent money,’
she said, ‘money to help the people who had taken our
farms! I imagine we were hoping that it would show our good
faith” (Kogawa). Obviously in such a way Japanese Canadians
wanted to demonstrate that they are an essential part of Canadian
society and they could live in peace with their neighbours
regardless their origin and the offences made in the past.
Unfortunately what they have got in response was quite the
contrary to their expectations: “we end up being despised
twice as much and treated like cringing dogs” (Kogawa).
Moreover, in a situation of extreme deprivation of Japanese
Canadians Canadian government forced them to emigrate and
leave the country, where many of them were born and which
they considered to be their motherland. Such a policy had
a juridical support since Japanese Canadians had to sign papers
agreeing to emigrate to Japan, while “those who refused
to sign were described as uncooperative and denied privileges”
(Kogawa).
Obviously the policy of Canadian government during the World
War II were wrong and absolutely unacceptable for a democratic
country. Unfortunately the period of political and socio-economic
repression was also a period of numerous cultural problems
since it was not easy to develop the culture in such circumstances.
Nonetheless Japanese Canadians highly appreciated their culture
and were very concerned about it as well as about their traditional
crafts and customs. At this respect, it is noteworthy to pay
attention to the episode when “Uncle and Father as young
men standing full front beside each other… One of Uncle’s
hands rested on the hull of an exquisitely detailed craft.
It wasn’t a fishing vessel or an ordinary yacht, but
a sleek boat designed by Father, made over many years and
many winter evenings. A work of art. ‘What a beauty!’
the RCMP officer said in 1941, when he saw it” (Kogawa).
The latter fact is particularly important because it reveals
the fact that Canadians can really appreciate works of art
and real beauty, regardless its creators.
Unfortunately, such a link between communities has been lost
because of the war, which separated Canadians people. In such
a situation, Japanese Canadians turns to be the most suffering
community sine they feels as aliens in the country which was
their home. Sadly to admit but many Japanese Canadians had
the same fate as her Uncle when he “was taken away,
wearing shirt, jacket and dungarees. He had no provisions
nor did he have any idea where the gunboats were herding him
and the other Japanese fishermen in the impounded fishing
fleet” (Kogawa). Not surprisingly that the most bright
and positive recall of Naomi is about the house of her childhood
“more splendid than any house I have lived in since”
().
Finally, the author can suggest nothing else but remembering
the old traditions, culture and the past, exactly like aunt
Emily who appeals to Naomi saying “you have to remember!
You are your history” (Kogawa). Moreover, what is probably
more important is that she appeals not only to Naomi and her
compatriots but it rather sounds as the general appeal to
all people of Canada, or even the entire world: “Don’t
deny the past. Remember everything. If you’re bitter,
be bitter” (Kogawa).
Conclusion
Thus, taking into account all above mentioned, it is possible
to conclude that the author appeals to remembering that is
the only way to prevention the repetition of mistakes of the
past and he attempts to reconcile both cultures Japanese and
Canadians for through remembering their past and knowing it
in details they would more probably forgive each other and
become equal and mutually enriching each other. It is also
obvious that such reconciliation is possible due to the art,
which is universal and representatives of different communities
can understand it. Anyway, on reading “Obasan”
by Joy Kogawa, a reader realizes that such tragedies should
not be repeated and in really democratic countries all people
should be really equal in both rights and responsibilities.
Bibliography:
1. Adachi, Ken. The Enemy That Never Was: A History Of The
Japanese Canadians. Toronto: OUP, 1998.
2. Beeler, Karin. Biography of Joy Kowaga. Toronto: Routeledge,
1999.
3. Knutson, Susan. Encyclopedia of Literature in Canada. Ed.
W.H. New. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2002.
4. Kogawa, Joy. Obasan. Boston : David R. Gordine, 1982.
5. Roy, Miki. Justice In Our Time: The Japanese Canadian Redress
Settlement. Toronto: OUP, 1999.
6. Stevens, Peter. The Oxford Companion to Canadian Literature.
Ed. Eugene Benson and William Toye. Toronto: OUP, 1997.
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