Analysis Of Mitsuye Yamad To The Lady

Mitsuye Yamada: To the Lady
This poem is one that urges the reader to think about the predicament in which Japanese Americans and those of Japanese ancestry were placed during the internment of them in 1942. In the first section of her poem, Yamada expresses all of the actions that she might have taken, such as escaping to Canada, or burning herself up in a house to let the public watch in horror on the news. She caustically stated that she “should’ve screamed bloody murder like Kitty Genovese” (956). We are bombarded with the many options that the American citizens had, but did not carry out. It is here that the Holocaust of the Jewish citizens by Hitler is referenced. In the end, it is brought to our attention that no one did anything

to stop the injustices that were perpetrated on the Japanese in our country.
Why did no one stand up for the innocent Japanese people that were imprisoned?

Why did they not defend themselves? The answer to the second question is a simple one. The Japanese are a very proud people. They complied with the orders of the government because they were following the law of the land that they resided in. This is reminiscent of what Socrates did, or rather did not do, when he was unjustly sentenced to death. The Japanese that were imprisoned should not be questioned as to why they did nothing. America should be questioned regarding the legality and legitimacy of its actions. It is a shame that blaming victim for what happens to them has become so prevalent in our society.
Plato: “The Greater Part of the Stories Current Today We Shall Have to Reject”
Plato is clearly not a supporter of democracy in society. He believes that censorship in education is necessary in order to have a successful society. He says that training the mind should hold precedence over training the body. Stories that are not true and represent gods in an unflattering light should be banned for the young. Although these stories may be allegorical, children cannot distinguish what is allegorical and what is not. He believes that if children never hear stories of quarrels, that they will go on to believe that being quarrelsome is a sin. Fictional stories of atrocities done to gods and others, he believes, should not be allowed for the young. His last statement is about God being the cause, not of everything, but only of what is

good.
Censorship regarding what children read is beneficial in theory. In the time of Plato, this may have been a viable option, but in today’s society it seems implausible. The World Wide Web has a plethora of information and reading material. It is common knowledge that much of this available information is rubbish and mindless. Pornography is readily available to anyone with a computer or smartphone, and surely it portrays sexual interactions between two people in an unrealistic light. But censoring this type of material is an impossibility due to the 2nd amendment of the United States Constitution, as it should be. It is a parent’s responsibility to guide their children in what is proper and true.