Essay Database

"Obasan" is an autobiographical novel, a story about the internment of Japanese Canadians during World War II. The book is narrated by Naomi Nakane, a second generation Japanese Canadian who was six years old at the time of the internment. The silence, the lost of family, and the racism all intertwine with the internment. At first, Naomi was borned in a comfortable Vancouver home. She was protected by family warmth and filled with music. Because …

…Naomi and her brother had to face the harsh jokes about being Japanese. Almost all of the Japanese student including Naomi had a shortened names, because they wanted to hide their long Japanese name. This novel reveals the emotional struggles of the Japanese forced into internment in World War II, and the pain that the little girl Naomi had to endure at that time. It showed how cruel the governments are toward the racial affairs.