Analyzing Naomi's Characters

Throughout the first few chapters of the novel to this point, Naomi’s character has been vague and she’s presented as unassertive and quiet. She is also a people pleaser as shown when she took a bath with Grandma, “I will suffer endless indignities of the flesh for the pleasure of my grandmother’s pleasure” (59). Naomi thinks she is brave by enduring the hot water, but she just wants her grandmother’s approval and happiness. I can relate to Naomi because I am also a people pleaser. I find it difficult to say no to someone’s proposal or request to do something and it sometimes puts unnecessary stress on me. Part of the problem is the fear of rejection and failure that I experience. Being able to make people happy and get their approval somehow

overcomes the stress from all the demands. When Naomi thinks back to her childhood memories, she remembers being on a streetcar as well and feeling discomfort when a man makes eye contact with her and winks. In Japan, staring means invasion and it is considered extremely rude, to the point where it is like nudity in public.

This social norm is also present in other Asian cultures. When I was at Zion Junior High School, there was a new student from Korea that the teacher had to talk to. As he was talking to her, she kept looking down, avoiding eye contact. The teacher kept asking her to look at his face while he was talking and thought it was rude for her to not make eye contact, although in the student’s perspective it was rude for her to look at him. This situation displayed differences that appear in the social customs of cultures. Lastly, Naomi remembers being told bedtime stories and thinks, “Secretly, I realize I am more fortunate than Stephen because I am younger and will therefore be a child for a longer time. That we must grow up is an unavoidable sadness” (67). Reading how Naomi feels about being younger reminds me of my own family. I am the oldest child and I have a younger brother. No matter our age, my brother will always be the baby of the family, but I think the youngest child may not feel as special since the oldest child has already gone through their first

experiences.
There is a lot of contrast and detachment throughout these chapters, particularly between character and character, and character and self.

The comparison of Aunt Emily and Obasan truly shows how different the two aunts are, as “one lives in sound, the other in stone” (39). Aunt Emily is the one who lives in sound because she talks about the Japanese internment and that people should remember the past. When Naomi says, “Life is so short, the past so long. Shouldn’t we turn the page and move on?”, Aunt Emily sharply says back, “The past is the future” (51). Aunt Emily reminds Naomi once again that she must remember, and says “You are your history. If you cut any of it off you’re an amputee” (60). Her words mean that memories are the history of a person and if they cut off the memories to become an amputee, they are forgetting their identity and who they are. On the other hand, Obasan represses her memories of the internment and lives in silence. Obasan stores old leftover food in the refrigerator that become moldy and disgusting, and she compares the food to her memories by saying, “If it is not seen, it does not horrify” (54). Her thinking is that it is better to forget the past and not hurt anyone, than remembering and being forced to recall the horrifying things that has happened. Naomi sees the contrasting minds of the aunts and

reflects:
People who talk a lot about their victimization make me uncomfortable. It’s as if they use their suffering as weapons or badges of some kind. From my years of teaching I know it’s the children who say nothing who are in trouble more than the ones who complain. (41).
Here, Naomi shows that although Aunt Emily talks and complains a lot about the mistreatment of Japanese-Canadians, Obasan is the one who has more painful memories and is suffering in silence. Sometimes silence or the absence of words can be more powerful than the words themselves. These specific chapters of the book provide a deeper insight to the characters and how they feel about their memories.