Customer Reviews

Obasan

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

When I finished Obasan, I felt blown away. This is not just a great piece of Japanese Canadian literature, this is a great book, period. The Internment of Japanese American/Canadian citizens during World War II is a subject that is widely unknown, and a topic that few novelists have been able to capture with as much skill as Kogawa.

"Obasan" weaves a seamless tale that stretches between generations and spans continents and decades with an almost dreamlike quality. As other reviewers have commented (lamented?) about, there are many dream sequences, all of which have significance as the story is unveiled. The dreams, the "silence that cannot speak," the love that is voiceless and yet vivid, the grief that cries out loudly and yet unheard ... the power of Kogawa's writing lies in being able to interpret and experience this imagery, and feel the pain of the internment as if doing so first hand.

I was surprised to see the number of negative reviews this book has received here ... I feel compelled to include my voice with those who thoroughly recommend this book. "Obasan" is the best novel on the internment I have yet to come across, and certainly among the most powerful books I have read. Although Kogawa writes of a silence that does not speak, she breaks the silence beautifully with "Obasan," revealing a history that many do not know, and many do not talk about. This is a story that must be remembered and retold ... so history does not repeat itself.

OBASAN by Joy Kogawa

Joy Kogawa uses a blend of techniques in her debut novel, OBASAN, to tell the story of the Japanese Canadians and their years in Canada during and following WWII. The winner of the Books In Canada "First Novel" Award and the winner of the Canadian Authors' "Association Book Of The Year Award", it is told through the eyes of a Japanese Canadian girl, only five years old at the start of WW II. OBASAN is told in flashbacks as Naomi Nakane looks back as an adult, finding out what really happened to her family and their loved ones during this horrible time in history.

Naomi and her brother Stephen were raised for the most part by their uncle and aunt, because their parents were not able to care for them during and after the years following WWII. Naomi's mother leaves for a visit to Japan shortly before Japan enters WWII with the United States, and is never seen or heard from by Naomi or her brother again. The young Naomi recalls letters going unanswered, never knowing whether her mother has ever received these notes or is too busy to even care about her children left in Canada. Their father remains in Canada with them, but becomes ill and is taken away during the war, spending most of his time in hospitals. Their contact with him is intermittent. Uncle Isamu and "Obasan" are asked to take care of the two children in the event anything happens to the Nakanes, and they raise them, not having any children of their own. They become a family unit, and as one reads the book, it is obvious that young Naomi finds nothing too unusual in this setup, as hardships keep them focused on one thing only: survival.

The book starts with Naomi hearing news that her Uncle has passed on, and she is forced to return to the home of Obasan, which brings back a rush of memories that she had preferred to keep suppressed. Told in flashbacks, letters, and poetry, Naomi's story is slowly told. Because she was so young, Naomi herself was not fully aware of what was happening during WWII. All she knew was that their family had to move several times, were restricted to where they could show their faces, and were ostracized and made to suffer because they were Japanese. It didn't matter that she and her brother were born in Canada. Being Japanese had stripped them of all rights that belonged to them as Canadian citizens.

OBASAN is based on the author's own experiences in Canada during WWII, and reading OBASAN I could feel a lot of her anguish coming through the pages. I was very interested in reading about the Japanese Canadians plight during WWII. I myself am Japanese American whose own father and family were sent to the camps in California. I was astonished to read that a similar situation had occurred in Canada, and it was one factor that kept me interested in the book. On the other hand, I did not quite like the way this story was told, and had a hard time getting through the entire book. It was not an easy read. What motivated me to finish the book was because I wanted to find out what happened to Naomi and her family, and what happened to her mother. The mystery to this is not revealed until the very end, and it was a very tragic ending to an altogether tragic book. There is no happy ending, but a lot of unanswered questions, including why such an event could have ever happened in a modern democratic society. Although I couldn't say this was a "Must-read", it is definitely a chapter in history that everyone should be aware of, regardless of race or nationality. This reader gives OBASAN 3.5 stars.

Based on Joy Kogawa's personal experiences, Obasan reveals the Japanese-Canadian conditions during World War II. Kogawa recalls the removal, exile, and dispersion of first and second generation Canadians of Japanese descent through the eyes of Megumi Naomi Nakane, a Japanese-Canadian born June 18, 1936 in Vancouver, British Columbia (9). Using diverse voices, Kogawa employs personal accounts, symbolic dreams, childhood tales, traditional lyrics, intimate letters and official documents that intermesh and unleash various perspectives. Obasan captures a culture's unique use of language in regard to how people communicate within their culture as well as how their communication is influenced by other cultures; Obasan is a lesson in traditional values, religious beliefs, and recent history.

Naomi's interactive experiences model how traditional values are passed from generation to generation. She develops communication skills and proper etiquette from her elders, which are either reinforced or altered as a result of her environment. One tradition instilled in Naomi is the language of eyes. For generations, her family has invoked beliefs that eye contact should not contradict intent. For example, to stare in any situation would be considered disrespectful, so unless one's intent is to disrespect someone, one should never stare. Naomi's childhood experiences show that the eyes of Japanese motherhood are "steady and matter of fact. They are eyes that protect, shielding what is hidden most deeply in the heart of a child" (71). This language of the eyes goes hand in hand with basic etiquette and verbal communication. When it's apparent that someone has performed an act that would typically be punished under European etiquette, there is to be no blame. Naomi is not scolded for murdering several chicks by subjecting them to the attack of a hen; instead, mother and daughter have a calm conversation about carelessness being dangerous (72).

As a third generation immigrant, Naomi continues to! use terms of endearment such as "Obasan" and "Ojisan" in reference to respected elders. She also accepts traditional practices such as communal nudity in regard to bathing. She finds comfort in bathing with her aunt, and complies with the necessity of bathing in the public bathhouse: "We are one flesh, one family, washing each other or submerged in the hot water" (191). All of the latter examples may be rejected when viewed through western ethnocentric eyes; however, ancestral beliefs heavily influence Naomi through verbal and written words, thus she accepts and respects such tradition.

Obasan reveals how traditional entertainment such as European tales and classical song lyrics influence Japanese Canadian families. Naomi's comparison of her family's situation to the tale of "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" shows how she embraces a story of the majority population as part of her identity (149). Throughout the novel, the influence such fairy tales have on Naomi is apparent. She frequently thinks in terms of childhood tales. Naomi compares Stephen's limp to Long John Silver walking with his pegged leg (162). Also, she finds the strength to endure tremendous pain inflicted by a nurse fiercely brushing her hair through a tale: "Rapunzael's long ladder of hair could bear the weight of prince or witch," she told herself, "I can endure this nurse's hands yanking at the knots in the thick black tangles"(179). Similarly, Naomi's family identifies with the oppressor's music. In times of turmoil and rejoice someone is playing an instrument, singing a song, or listening to a record such as "Silver Threads Among the Gold" (149). Along with the family's acceptance of majority culture's entertainment, there is also an acceptance of different beliefs.

The acceptance of the Anglican religious by Naomi's family, and other Japanese Canadians, demonstrates how beliefs of the majority culture are adapted. With conversion from Buddhism t! o Christianity there is a tremendous influence on the language of prayer and various religious practices. Nakayama-sensei, the minister from the Anglican Church in Vancouver, frequently leads the family in the Lords prayer and refers to scriptures, which embrace Anglican language (140). During one of many services, Nakayama-sensei reminds the family, "Thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment" (209). Missionaries, Sunday school, and the Gospel become a part of daily life for Naomi's family. Holy days such as Easter, Passover, and Christmas become traditional observations and celebrations for these Japanese Canadians. Even though Naomi's family accepts the Anglican religion, they continue to respect those who are not as heavily influenced by Christianity.

Though most of the family is Christian, Grandpa Nakane is Buddhist. Thus, he requests that Grandma Nakane's body is cremated, instead of buried, and her remains returned to him (153). There is a tremendous outpour of support for Grandpa Nakane's wishes. Local carpenters volunteer to build a pyre and tend to the fire through the night. As the fire begins to burn, however, Naomi finds comfort in the Old Testament story about the angel that kept three men safe in the flames of a furnace. There is irony in the way Naomi comforts herself from strange feelings evoked by the ceremonial cremation. Though she respects Grandpa Nakane's Buddhist wishes, her thoughts about the situation are from a Christian's perspective. While Obasan studies the Japanese Canadian experience in regard to religion, the work also teaches a history lesson.

Aunt Emily's collection of official government documents, actual news clippings, and hand written journal entries in the form of letters to Naomi's mother are full of voices from the past from which the conditions of Japanese Canadians during World War II are disclosed. It becomes apparent that government officials! carefully selected written words to mask the circumstances of the oppressed. Records were written with language to disguise crime. Instead of describing concentration camps like prisons they were referred to as Interior Housing Projects. Also, comparisons are made between the degree of cruelty Japanese Americans and Canadian Americans have to endure: "American Japanese were interned, and sent off to concentration camps, but their property wasn't liquidated" (40). The latter is particularly interesting because Kogawa, a Canadian, points out that conditions of Japanese immigrants were worse in Canada than in America. The reference that such persecution took place is shocking to most Canadians and Americans alike, who are ignorant to the degree of discrimination that occurred.

To Japanese Canadians who continue to sing "O Canada, glorious and free, O Canada, we stand on guard for thee," (196) out of respect for the very country that enslaves them, and hold up the 'V' for victory (199) as the war comes to a close despite the fact that they have been ripped away from their homes and forced to live in squalor, it is important that historical documents depict their plight accurately.

Kogawa's portrayal of a people's plight through Obasan, despite the work's historical authenticity, demonstrates her understanding of the emotive power of words as conveyed through literature. Kogawa's provocative narrative has a profound impact on readers, enabling them to experience the Japanese Canadian's reality during the Second World War. "A lot of academic talk just immobilizes the oppressed and maintains oppressors in their position of power," she writes (42). The latter, along with her recognition that people must remember their history and retell it accurately explains why she reveals her story through a work classified as fiction. Historical accounts are changed with time, altered by individuals who don't want to face the past. By Kogawa writing a composition, instead of pu! tting together a collection of official documents, she influences a population that would otherwise not be reached. Obasan proves to be an effective tool with the power to change how history is depicted. As a result, this novel is being used as a teaching text in both Canada and America. As a matter of fact, it is used throughout Canada as a micro-history. Considering the impact Obasan has on readers as an educational instrument, everyone who is living should read this critically acclaimed novel.

When I first purchased Obasan, I was unsure of how much I would enjoy the book. Fortunately, it turned out to be one of the best books I have ever read. In the novel, Joy Kogawa deals with the Canadian Japanese internment camps during World War II. She does a masterful job of using flashbacks to tell the story through the eyes of a young girl who is forced to move with her family to different camps and farms to survive during the war. Kogawa uses many autobiographical elements in the novel to help tell this magnificent story. Her descriptive language is beautiful and allows the story to flow along at an easy pace. She also utilizes many similes and metaphors to help the reader see what she sees a little better. Although there are not many symbols in the novel, the ones that Kogawa uses are utterly important to the story. Kogawa mainly focuses on themes of prejudice and silence, in which all the characters embody one or the other. The change in setting, both place and time, can be confusing at first, but once the reader catches on, they will become engrossed in the deep plotline. And although the story is written about Japanese Canadians and their struggle to make it during World War II, Obasan is definitely aimed at the general American audience, so that hopefully they will be able to see the light that Joy Kogawa shines on the entire situation. After reading the novel, I can definitely say that I recommend it to any and everyone out there that is interested in the history of the Japanese internment camps and World War II. And even if you aren't it is still a very well put together book that will pull you into its plot and not let you go. This novel is a definite must read for everyone.

Obasan is a fictional account of what actions the Canadian government took to control Japanese-Canadians during WWII. Kogawa tells an undeniably historical story about the internment of Japanese-Canadians and its effect on families. She chronicles the journey of a young Japanese-Canadian as she confronts and accepts her past. Kogawa uses a unique point of view, extended metaphors, and official as well as personal documents and letters to tell her story.

Obasan is told through the eyes of Naomi Nakane, a Canadian-born Japanese woman. The story is often hard to understand because it is told from 36-year old Naomi through flashbacks. Throughout her life Naomi has tried hard to forget about her painful past, but her strong-willed Aunt Emily helps her remember. Thus Kogawa starts her use of flashbacks, skipping around the years of Naomi's life often making it hard to piece her life together. Kogawa tells much of Naomi's story from the eyes of a young child, which helps the reader see the internment of Japanese-Canadians more truthfully.

Kogawa also uses extended metaphors throughout her novel. One example is her continual comparison of Japanese-Canadians to birds. The birds in the book are always weak, helpless, and at the mercy of others. By her use of this metaphor, Kogawa is saying that the Japanese-Canadians are controlled by and at the hands of white Canadians. Another more horrific metaphor she uses to portray the same belief is in comparing the treatment of the Japanese in Canada to young Naomi being raped as a child. The rape and molestation of Naomi when she was four-years old permeates the entire book. It illuminates Kogawa's belief that the Japanese-Canadians were being horribly taken advantage of by their own government during and after WWII.

Finally, Kogawa uses official and personal documents to give validity to Obasan. She first uses newspaper clippings and government documents given to Naomi from Aunt Emily. These clippings helped Naomi to leave behind her indifferent attitude to embrace an interested and involved attitude toward the wartime treatment of Japanese-Canadians. However, the most influential factor that changed Naomi's attitude was a letter from her grandmother, who went with Naomi's mother before the war to Japan. Naomi has always been obsessed about finding out what has happened to her mother because she has not had any corrospondance with her for years. However, the letter reveals everything, and it is disclosed that her mother was a victim of the atomic bomb dropped over Hiroshima, Japan.

Obasan is a beautifully written book that tells the story of a woman coming to terms with a painful and degrading past. It also informs readers of an event that few know happened, but nearly parallels the Holocaust of the Jews in Europe. This book is great for anyone interested in history, the Japanese culture, and the trends that human nature follows in treating other people.

I picked "Obasan" from the shelf with new books in the library, motivated by the title and author's name, driven by my fascination with everything Japanese. And, as it came out, I this is exactly what is criticized in the book. Joy Kogawa is Canadian, of the family living in Canada for generations. She is a poet, which has a beautiful influence on her prose, which is very precise whenever she wants it to be, and, on the other hand, full of unique similes and metaphors. The language changes depending on the perspective - the narrator is Naomi Nakane, a 35 year old teacher, who, confronted with the past, goes back to her childhood memories, reads letters from family and officials, and at present takes care of her Uncle's funeral arrangements. The book is not very big, yet it is good to take time to read it, to take it in.

Whereas the language is a very strong asset of this novel, the story was extremely moving for me too. Maybe it is only European ignorance- I knew nothing about persecutions and internalization of Canadian citizens of Japanese origin during World War II. I was, shortly speaking, shocked, because I regarded Canada as one of the most liberal countries, caring for the inhabitants. It seems that no nation has an unstained past...

It is great that books like "Obasan" are written, because the general unawareness of this problem, especially when Holocaust and Gulags are widely recognized (and there were times when nobody believed in concentration camps in Poland or work camps in Siberia), is absolutely unacceptable.

The suffering of one Japanese family, deprived of their belongings, fighting for humane treatment and trying to keep some dignity while treated with disrespect and separated, seen mostly by innocent child's eyes, is a powerful evocation. The issues of racism, different perception of people because of their appearance and roots, children's cruelty, are also discussed.

A great and successful effort. I am going to read the second part,"Itsuka", as soon as I can lay my hands on it.

Wow... I can't believe what people said about this book.. I am the worst reader ever.. I hate it with a passion.. But I had to read this book for my Grade 12 Independant Study Project. I was dreading reading it, but i was hooked as soon as i opened it. I truly feel for people when they go through struggles, especially in this case of being separated from their families, and for someone to call this book crap? How would you like to write a novel that is not only "better", but express yourself and share your pain with the world and have people like yourself call it crap.

I actually hate to read but this is one book I am glad i did. It made me look at Canada completely differently, and realize that we are not so perfect after all. I hope we have finally learn from our past for once.

I enjoyed reading Obasan, by Joy Kogawa. I have been very interested in Japanese Internment Camps for some time now and because of this my principal suggested that I read this book. The novel started out slowly, but after learning the characters it became very interesting. The main character in this novel is Naomi NaKane, a Japanese Canadian. Dealing with the loss of her mother who traveled to Japan and then the loss of her father because of illness, makes this young girl's life very difficult. She and her brother Stephen are taken care of by their aunt and uncle. They are evacuted from their home in Vancouver and sent to an internment camp where they lived for three or four years. Then they were then sent to Granton to work on a farm. Here they lived in a rat infested shack which had to suffice for a home. After a few years they moved to their own house in Granton. When they arrived here they had to deal with new people and a completely new life. Can you imagine being taken out of your home and then after you had just started to make friends in the camp, be placed in a new home far away from who and what you've known for your entire life. That is what Naomi has to deal with, only you see it through a five year old's eyes as she grows up. She deals with the loss of many things such as her family, her surroundings, basically her life. After reading this book I suggest that you read Itsuka, another book by Joy Kogawa that deals with Naomi's later life.

Set in rustic Canada during WW2, "Obasan" is a look into the life of Naomi Kakane, a Japanese Canadian torn between her background and a society which was once so fair and inclusive but which has now turned on her and her race due to a world conflict for which they are not responsible and in which they have no say. But since the Japanese attack on Pear Harbor, all Canadian Japanese are lumped in the same category as traitors, therefore outcasts.

"Obasan" is the only fictional account of the historical experience of the Japanese Canadians and the unjust internment they suffered. Published in 1981, the book put the spotlight on several national issues, including racial injustice and discrimination, and may have influenced former Prime Minister Mulroney's guarantee for reformation towards Japanese Canadians in 1984. It was a big step in bringing about some reconciliation and healing of wounds that had been left open and untended for too long.

To begin with, these Japanese were forced to sacrifice many possessions such as property and housing due to lack of trust, as revealed in the letters which Naomi reads in Chapter 14, which detail what the government did to her people. They were shipped on trains, splitting their families apart to extremely small housing where they were forced to live. Eventually they were shipped again to even smaller housing on beet farms, where they would labor, harvesting sugar beets. It was a bleak eistence for those years and an uncertain one, for they no longer had any rights as citizens and didn't know where they'd be tomorrow or the next day. In Chapter 28, Naomi was sent to live at a deserted farmhouse where she had to work the fields with her family, except for her mother, who had left back to Japan to look after her own mother. Her father had died, she later learned, so she was left motherless and fatherless, living with her brother and aunt. The pitiful thing was of course the unfair treatment of these people, but the other tragedy was also that some of them either died or disappeared because of it.

They were outcasts for a long portion of time, not only during the time they were physically transported, but for years after the war when they had no one's trust; derogatory words like "Japs" and "gooks" were used by some people. This created scars that would always remain. To this day, there are still some in the elderly generation who look back on those times with sadness and discomfort.

In this novel, Joy Kogawa creates an intense mental picture of the cruelty and anguish these completely innocent people were put through, simply due to their background and heritage. One certainly can sympathize and almost begin to feel what they must have gone through. Kogawa depicts the story of the Nakanes family well, and provides a well-deserved look at a history forgotten.

David Rehak
author of "A Young Girl's Crimes"

A great narrative book written by Joy Kogawa who leads the readers through the events of Japanese Internment during WWII based on her personal experiences. The book is beautifully written and extremely poetic. Talently combining metaphors with actual events, Kagawa brings history to life in the readers' minds like a movie without glitches. Although some words Kogawa chose are quite complicated and hard to understand, but the intelligent surroundings she put the readers in, almost every detail can be seen without problems.

History speaks in this book.