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Japanese Internment
1941, December 7--the bombing of Pearl Harbor
1942--evacuation of Canadian Japanese (Nikkei) from the Pacific Coast--the
great mass movement in the history of Canada (Obasan 92-93)--21,000 people
moved
1945 -- end of WW II, the Japanese given a choice between repatriation
and second-time relocation
1949--Nikkei allowed to return to B.C.
1980s--redress movement
1988--formal apology to Nikkei+ $21,000 (Cdn.) to the survivors
differences from the relocation of Japanese-Americans:
--dispersal
of Japanese-Canadian family members--men sent to road camps in the interior
of B.C., sugar beet projects on the Prairies, POW camp in Ontario |
Obasan
is a novel about Japanese-Canadians' experience after Pearl Harbor during
and after World War II. The Canadian government's internment or relocation
of Canadians of Japanese descent broke up thousands of Japanese families,
including that of Naomi's.
Time Line
and Plot Summary
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1893-- |
Grandpa Nakane arrived in Canada |
|
August 9, 1972
|
Sept. 13, 1972;
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Chap 1-- Naomi and her uncle's
yearly ritual to the coulee (--1954 Granton ¡X1951 [the bombing
of Nagasaki]¡X)
Chap 2--Naomi in her school; heard about uncle's
death
Chap 3--back to Obasan's house, question about
the mother; Obasan
Chap 4--memories of the family (stone bread)
Chap 5--Obasan in the attic (memory as spider)
Chap 6-- first nightmare
Chap 7-- Emily's package and Naomi's talk with
Emily
Chap 8 --Obasan, lady of the left-overs, including
family photos
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1941
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Chap 9 -- starts to remember-
from the photo to memories of the house p. 50 ¡X
Chap 10--Momotaro
Chap 11-- episode of the white hen and chicks,
and of the Old Man Gower
Chap 12 -- separation
starts, the mother first
Chap 13 --preparation to leave
Chap 14 -- bath with Obasan;
Emily's
diary (-110)
------------------
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1942
train to Slocan
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Chap 15-- leaving for
Slocan
Chap 16 -- the trip and arriving at Slocan;
Stephen¡¦s reaction
Chap 17 -- Nomura-obasan's illness and old
age, goldilock
Chap 18 -- Grandma Nakane's death and wake
and cremation;
Chap 19 -- Uncle's return; no news about
the father; Stephen out of his cast
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1943
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Chap 20 -- growing vegetable
garden; back to school, Rough Lock Bill Kenji and the red insect
Chap 21--Kenji's raft and glasses, Naomi's
drowning experience
Chap 22 -- experience in the hospital, news
about dad; death, chicken in school; kitten
Chap 23 -- bathing,
Chap 24 -- Father's back
Chap 25 -- prayer before departure
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1945
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1950
|
-------------------
Chap 26 -- leaving Slocan (p. 179 --
Chap 27 -- Emily's package (last year of
the present)¡Xfacts about not having a
choice, documents that show racism (send them back home)
Chap 28 -- 1945 Lethbridge restaurant--Granton
Chap 29 -- experience of fly and dust-v.s.
documents
Chap 30 -- Granton school p. 200
Chap 31 -- the swamp; a frog with a broken
leg; revelation of father's death |
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|
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1954
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Chap 32 -- start to talk about the mother
-- must be dead, two government letters about admission,
Chap 33 -- Emily's first visit in 1954 (Stephen
leaves for Toronto in 1952) "Kodomo no tame"; "they should be told"
Chap 34 -- Mr. and Mrs. Barker's visit: their
offensive sympathy; "Have you ever been back to Japan?"
Chap 35 -- nightmare
Chap 36 -- ought to tell "Kodomo no
tame"
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|
1972
|
Chap 37 -- revelation,
listening
Chap 38 -- presence without flesh; letters
as bones, love sent through graves and underground roots
Chap 39 -- going to the coulie
Chap 40 -- the document |
Kogawa, World Literatures
in English Course
2000