Chapter 8 Farewell To Manzanar

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December 7, 1941, was a day that would change the lives of 120,000 Japanese Americans. Due to the bombing of Pearl Harbor, many Japanese Americans were seen as enemies because those of their culture were essentially viewed as aliens to America. Throughout Farewell to Manzanar, we learn of the trials and tribulations along with the prejudice that Jeanne Wakatsuki and her family overcame. Though Farewell to Manzanar is mainly about Jeanne, there are different perspectives that we recognize through particular stories. In chapter 8, we see Kiyo’s reaction to Papa’s outburst and how through the book's perspective, we see both sides and reactions to their argument. After Papa came home from being imprisoned, he would drink regularly. As a consequence, he was often …show more content…

When Kiyo, Jeanne’s older brother, saw this, he took matters into his own hands and stood up for his mom by punching his dad, trying to get him to stop. Through this violent but powerful event, Kiyo took leadership and stood up for Mama when she couldn't stand up for herself and that shows Kiyo’s resilience. While Mama was enduring the abuse from Ko, Jeanne felt helpless. She felt as if there was nothing she could do to help Mama, however, when Kiyo took charge and stood up for Mama, Jeanne felt as if a weight was lifted off her shoulders. Nonetheless, Jeanne was still afraid of Papa’s reaction. Later in the book, we see that Papa wouldn’t go on to retaliate against Kiyo due to his guilt and knowing he was in the wrong. During chapter 8, we witness when Jeanne says, “This was like bloodying the nose of God.” Jeanne was indicating that she thought highly of her father and respected him greatly, even though she knew what her father did was wrong. This displays that Papa still has a sense of authority over Jeanne and her siblings and in the eyes of Jeanne, he was still someone she respected

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