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Obasan The Nature Of Power
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- Obasan (Criticism) - ... depends in part on the power to enforce ... spreading words like...
Free Essay Submitted by bignerds on 06/28/2008 08:11 PM
- Category: English
- Words: 831
- Pages: 4
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Obasan The Nature Of Power
Obasan: The Nature of Power
Joy Kogawa's obasan sheds light on the complicated nature of power. Three scenes in chapter 11 represent the power that the Canadian Government exerted over the Japanese Canadians during World War II. The first of these scenes involves the yellow chicks and the white hen; the second is Naomi's dream of the torture and mutilation of three Japanese women; and the final scene is naomi's personal description of the abuse she endured at the hands of Mr. Gower. All three scenes reveal the nature of power and the suffering of the victims of this power. In addition, these three scenes are symbolic of the suffering that Japanese Canadians endured at the hands of the Canadian Government. Following the Japanese Canadian Internment in Canada, Japanese Canadians fought for restitution from the Government for the personal hardships and financial losses endured during the war. During the 1980's the Japanese Canadian Redress Agreement was signed and the Government of Canada issued a formal apology to Japanese Canadians and monetary restitution of $21,000 was paid to each survivor.
Chapter 11 begins with Naomi describing the white hen and the yellow chicks beside the garage. At this point, Naomi places the small yellow chicks in the cage with the large white hen who jabs her "sharp beakÂ…down on the chick[s]". (62) Eventually some of the yellow chicks are left dead, some wounded and some unscathed. I feel that this scene is symbolic of the greater abuse that the Japanese Canadians suffered at the hands of the Canadian Government. This scene with the yellow chicks speaks of the abuse that is suffered at the hands of one of you own. The white hen in the scene represents the position of power; the position of the Canadian Government, while the yellow chicks are the victims of this power. Naomi and the Japanese are the yellow chicks, "the Yellow Peril" (165) and "for Naomi there will be no transformation from yellow chick...
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