In our era when books are written on a word processor on a computer rather than on paper, drafts get harder to keep track of. This week we had the chance to go to the library’s rare archives to take a peek at the context in which Joy Kogawa’s book, Obasan, was written. What really struck me however was the amount of drafts that Joy Kogawa had to make in order to finalise her book. Having written drafts on paper enables us as a reader and scholars to reflect and understand her thought process, which to an extent gives us a new perspective on her story and also enables us to have more depth regarding her experience as a Japanese-Canadian during that era.

I personally enjoyed reading those documents because it helped me as a student to see what information Joy Kogawa prioritises and the emphasis on the points that she wants to make. Having had drafts on paper really helps because it gives us a sample of what she was thinking and the raw initial thoughts that she had in perspective with the final polished result. Also, I believe that its important for authors to keep their drafts so that they can use them later to reflect upon them, to see where their flaws lie and improve them from there, it also gives a database for other writers and scholars to construct a train of thought from.

Furthermore, through those drafts we can see different sides of Joy Kogawa. Although she manages to maintain her composure and stay calm on a matter that is that personal, where one would be tempted to over exaggerate one side in order to prove a point. We can see Joy Kogawa’s angry side and also her sympathetic side.