Silence and voice can be expressed in diverse ways. Joy Kogawa portrays different aspects of Issei and Nisei towards the meaning of silence and voice. Naomi and Stephen are growing up under the influence of their two antithetical aunts, Obasan and Aunt Emily. These aunts have contrasting views of life. Obasan remains in the traditional Japanese lifestyle and lives in her silent territory, while Aunt ... a protective silence. "The memories were drowned in a whirlpool of protective silence. Everywhere I could hear the adults whispering, "Kodomo no tame. For the sake of the children- Calmness w...

• Word Count: 1283
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... busies herself with chores and quiet things of the sort. Naomi does agree however with certain aspects of Obasan's being. Aunt Aye is passive and learns to forgive and forget, which is how she raises Naomi. "Crimes of history can stay in history"(Kogawa, 41). She learns to leave the past war mishaps in her life alone and move on with things ... ). Although this, they have been the foundations of her life, and that is an undeniable fact. "Obasan and Uncle have been the mainstay of Naomi's traumatic childhood- (Goettliev, 36). This story is so well written it is evident that it was heavily...

• Word Count: 1170
• Approx Pages: 5
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... the seventies with Naomi a teacher in Northern Alberta finding out that her uncle has died. When Naomi returns home to console her Aunt Obasan, she begins to relive the difficulties of her life. She recounts the struggle against the government and themselves while trying to stay in ... Canadian citizens. Obasan also taught me a lot about the Japanese culture and background. I enjoyed learning that it was custom to take a bath with your family when you were younger. I also learned that the government took away the vehicles of the Japanese and auctioned them off, which really shocked me. Jo...

• Word Count: 640
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School