Obasan Week 4

[nikkia]

1) There is significant to understanding the point of view of the narrator or the family dynamics in the story .Obasan Kogawa’s best-known work, tells the story of one Japanese Canadian family living through World War II. Although a work of fiction, Kogawa describes events based on her own life and the novel aims to present an historically accurate picture of the Japanese Canadian wartime experience. During the war, many Japanese Canadians endured brutal mistreatment in silence, rather than voicing their anger or standing up for their rights. In Obasan, Kogawa conveys the devastating effects of silence. Simply by writing the novel, she registers her refusal to keep quiet about the cruelty of racism.At the beginning of the story, the narrator comes across that her aunt’s house had seem to “shrunk over the years” (Kogawa 4) and become “more cluttered then” (Kogawa 4) she “remembers.” (Kogawa 4) .The strong imagery portray a strong picture of a tightly packed house with little room to move. It’s as if the aunt is represnting her past memories.With the resent death of her uncle and the repeated visits from her Aunt Emily, Naomi is faced with her passed that through all these years she has tried to block out. She did not only block out the bad memories but also the good ones she had with her family. Until now Naomi did not know what had happened to her mother, but after reading through her Aunt Emily’s packages, diaries and asking questions she finally figures out what happened to her. All the events that happened in her life caused her pain and never allowed her to live a life a peace. It is only after that she discovers what had happened to her mother and finds out about her past is when she is finally able to live a life of peace.

2)the most useful tip that has helped me in writing essay is by breaking down the topic into its various components and examining each thoroughly. For instance, if the topic of discussion is a festival, you can break down the essay by examining the history and origin of the festival, what are the festivities involved, what kinds of changes have come in the celebration of the festival over years, and so on. In conclusion, you can talk about the effects of the festival in today’s world, its contribution and positive effects on people and the joys of celebrating it.Clearly understanding the assignment. If the paper topic is assigned, it is important to clearly understand the assignment. Analyze the topic word by word to understand the requirements and scope of work. You might want to underline key words in the assignment and think about how they relate to the reading and/or lectures. Figure out whether you must interpret or simply state the facts. If in doubt, ask other students or the professor for clarification.

Comments

[wintersound]

I think your description of the cluttered house and its reference to Obasan's internment is a great detail, "her aunt’s house had seem to “shrunk over the years” (Kogawa 4) and become “more cluttered then” (Kogawa 4) she “remembers.” (Kogawa 4) .The strong imagery portray a strong picture of a tightly packed house with little room to move. It’s as if the aunt is represnting her past memories." This is so true that Obasan cannot escape the memories and images her internment experience has left her with. Well described :)