In the novel Obasan, by Joy Kogawa, the narrator recounts her experience of being transferred to the internment camps during the Second World War. During this time Japanese Canadians were considered enemies of all. As a result, they were treated unfairly and, at times, even brutally. Kogawa sets his piece in 1940s British Columbia to emphasize the relationships between Japanese Canadians and society. Society, in Kogawa's excerpt, represents a place where Japanese Canadians are hated because of their country's actions. Specifically, this action refers to the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, which occurs immediately before the setting of the song. This setting creates conflict because society does not allow Japanese Canadians to express themselves as individuals: human beings who are not associated with a collective group. Instead, Japanese Canadians are oppressed or treated unfairly because they are seen as an enemy by society. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayKogawa uses a first-person plural narrative to give the reader direct insight into the thoughts and feelings of a Japanese Canadian living in this time period. Therefore, the reader is able to see and hear everything as if it were happening right now. This point of view allows the reader not to sympathize, but rather understand the struggles of Japanese Canadians. Through the use of various literary elements such as point of view, structure, selection of details, and figurative language, Kogawa suggests that the narrator's complex attitude towards the past stems from her inability to integrate into a society where she is seen as an enemy . . In order for the narrator to transcend this feeling of rejection, Kogawa indicates that he must draw on the love and support of others, which will in turn give the narrator a sense of belonging and independence. Kogawa begins his excerpt by establishing the time period in order to emphasize to the reader that there is conflict; through this conflict Kogawa suggests that the narrator views the past with contempt because she is seen as an enemy by society. Kogawa says “1942” (Kogawa line 1) to emphasize the importance of the historical period: the Japanese recently bombed Pearl Harbor and it is the middle of World War II. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, all Americans of Japanese descent were placed in internment camps for fear of further attacks by the Japanese. During their time in internment camps, Japanese Canadians were isolated from society, resulting in the loss of their identity or characteristics that make them unique. This lack of identity among Japanese Canadians caused society to stereotype them as enemies; therefore, all Japanese Canadians were viewed with contempt. The incarceration of Japanese Canadians at the hands of the Canadian government indicates that those in power, in this circumstance the Canadian government, have the power to determine morality. Kogawa goes on to say that "we are descending to the Earth's center with pickaxe eyes, tunneling inward by train, carried by the momentum of expulsion into the waiting desert" (lines 5-8) to underline the sense of desolation of the Japanese Canadians because they recognize the gravity of their situation. Kogawa alludes to the Bible, speaking in particular of the exile of the Israelis. The “desert of waiting” that the narrator refers to can be seen as an extended metaphor, as it represents the internment camps to which Japanese Canadians will be relocated. They don't know what to expect when they arrive in the campsof internment. The narrator sees this “desert” with a sense of inevitability because she knows she is powerless in refusing to go to the internment camps. This quote also features an irony because although Japanese Canadians understand the gravity of their situation, they know that they can do nothing to change it. Through this irony Kogawa presents Japanese Canadians as tolerant, or accepting their dilemma because they do not attempt to change a hopeless situation. Kogawa indicates that the narrator's silent tolerance of his situation constitutes a large part of his harsh feelings towards the past because he is now finally able to reflect on such atrocities. Through the use of figurative language, Kogawa is able to convey his message that the events of the past shapes how Japanese Canadians see themselves in the present moment, which in turn highlights the fact that, because of the past, Japanese Canadians struggle to find a sense of identity. This paradox has a negative effect on Japanese Canadians, as it implies that, due to the past, Japanese Canadians are in an unstable mental state because they are seen as everyone's enemy. As a result, Japanese Canadians are unable to develop a sense of individuality or uniqueness because their surroundings hinder their ability to do so by isolating them in internment camps. The anaphora “we are,” which is repeated eleven times throughout the passage, occurs to remind the reader of the struggles that Japanese Canadians endure as a group. By starting each paragraph with “we are” in the first part of the excerpt, Kogawa signifies that Japanese Canadians see themselves as a collective group rather than as distinct individuals, which in turn reveals that Japanese Canadians all share the common difficulty of assimilating in other countries. society as individuals. Additionally, Kogawa uses the simile “[we] disappear into the future as unassumingly as the dew” (lines 27-28) to compare Japanese Canadians to the dew. This simile evokes a feeling of desperation for the future because the Japanese are helpless in the face of being transferred to the internment camp. This simile can also be seen as an extended metaphor, as it symbolizes the plight of all Japanese Canadians during this time period. They are all powerless to stop their inevitable transfer to internment camps. Additionally, Kogawa does not use dialogue during the Japanese Canadians' train ride to the internment camps. This gives the impression that the train ride is completely silent, which highlights the Japanese Canadians' quiet tolerance of their situation. Instead of using dialogue to describe the situation, Kogawa chooses to use images. He describes the train by saying, “The train smells of oil, soot and orange peels and jolts groggily as we head inland. Along the windowsill the black soot jumps and settles like insects” (vv. 46-48). The narrator gives the reader a detailed description of the train to accentuate what it was like to be on the train heading to the internment camp. He uses personification to compare “black soot” to “bugs,” which once again shows how the use of figurative language allows the reader to witness firsthand what it is like to be a Japanese Canadian living in this time period . Through his detailed description of During the train ride to the internment camps, the narrator reveals one of the many difficulties that Japanese Canadians faced during their transfer to the internment camps. By using figurative language, Kogawa is able to express the desperation of CanadiansJapanese indicating that they are aware of their bleak situation, but know they have no power to change it. Midway through the passage Kogawa switches from first-person plural to first-person singular point of view to allow the reader to see the situation through the narrator's perspective as an individual as opposed to a collective group; through this change in point of view the reader is able to understand the hardships that the Japanese Canadians directly endured. The narrator first describes a child who notices concrete details to emphasize the change in point of view. It says: “A pile of luggage in a large corridor. Missionaries at the station handing out packages of toys” (lines 29-31). The child only notices concrete images because he is small; his mind is not as developed as that of an adult. This change in viewpoint contrasts with Japanese Canadians' differing perspectives on their relocation. The fact that the child is unaware that he is being transferred and only notices the obvious highlights the importance of perception. While the child may see nothing significant in the transfer to internment camps, an adult's perspective contradicts this completely. Obasan, for example, perfectly understands the gravity of the situation. Changing the point of view, Kogawa suggests that a person's perception plays an important role in one's overall outlook on life. The narrator does not look back fondly on the past because from her point of view there is nothing worth remembering. Furthermore, Kogawa uses the literary technique of flashback, which not only highlights the change of point of view, but also provides the reader with a direct look at the conflict. “Three decades have passed and I am a little child resting my head on Obasan's lap” (lines 33-34). The narrator reflects on when she went to internment camps as a child. This flashback allows the reader to see events unfold through the eyes of the narrator. The reader can thus feel everything as if it were happening right now. Through the use of the literary technique of flashback, Kogawa is able to emphasize the change in point of view from first person plural to first person singular, which in turn allows the reader to see the action unfold through the eyes of the narrator. Kogawa implies that conditions in internment camps are so poor that many Japanese Canadians do not make it out alive, and that those who do are negatively affected by their experiences there forever; through this indication Kogawa suggests that the main reason for the narrator's complicated attitude towards the past stems from the fact that her harrowing experiences in the internment camp will always be with her. The narrator reflects, “No uncle or aunt, grandfather or grandmother, brother or sister, none of us on this journey comes home again” (lines 43-45). This quote can be interpreted in two ways. First, from a physical point of view, since it is possible that the narrator's entire family dies during the internment camp. Secondly, it can be seen from a mental point of view, as the narrator suggests that the experience of being in an internment camp for such a long period drastically affects the psychological morale of Japanese Canadians. Many Japanese Canadians remained in internment camps for as long as four years, during which they were subjected to extreme emotional stress. Those who made it out alive had to deal with the psychological trauma associated with such long captivity. The narrator recognizes that these experiences will stay with her forever; therefore, he does not look at the past with nostalgia, but rather the exact opposite as he tries to 95-99)..