Having finished reading Joy Kogawa’s novel, Obasan, for the second time, I now have a decently comprehensive understanding of the various themes that the novel presents. Although this historical fiction novel does provide rich insight into the horrific experiences of Japanese Canadians interned during WWII, in the end, it probably raises more questions than answers. Most of these questions surround the ideas of Canadian identity and the dangers that result from fear.

Throughout the novel, it is evident that during WWII, the status of Japanese Canadians was “the enemy and not the enemy” of the Canadian government. This concept especially comes into light in the part of the novel when the Canadian anthem is played prior to a school day in Granton, which make Naomi and Steven feel uncertain about their identity. In fact, until present day, there still remains no definite answer to the concept of Canadian identity. However, to formulate an answer, there are considerations that we can make. Drawing from lesson material that Professor Kopas covered in our political science class, Obasan is a novel where the ideas of ethnic and civic nationalism collide. The various Japanese Canadian characters in the novel, especially Aunt Emily, embody the characteristics of civic nationalism, given their sense of pride for the living conditions and freedoms they enjoyed in Canada prior to internment. On the other hand, the Canadian government’s stance on nationalism consisted of ethnic considerations, which fits the definition of ethnic nationalism. As a result, the Canadian government deemed citizens of Japanese descent as non-citizens. From this respect, it would be fair for me to say that this was one similarity that the Canadian government back then shared with their principle enemy, the Nazi Germans, whom were radical ethnic nationalists.

The internment of Japanese Canadians during the Second World War also raises another critical theme in the novel, which is the fact that paranoia by the state authority often result in the committing of unjust and often irrational acts, even if unintended. When the War Measures Act was proposed following the Japanese attacks on Pearl Harbor, the Canadian government was without a doubt fearful about the potential of further conquest by the Japanese Empire. Even if there might not have been any malicious intent at first, this nevertheless gave rise to one of the greatest injustices in Canadian history. In fact, throughout world history, various events have also clearly demonstrated this very concept. For example, when Joseph Stalin governed the Soviet Union, he purged and even executed millions of Russians whom he suspected were enemies of the state. Perhaps a more recent example is the controversial Patriot Act that the Bush Administration legislated following the 9/11 Attacks. As a result of the Patriot Act, many American citizens have lost their freedom from unreasonable search and seizure.

To conclude, the novel Obasan is indeed a novel that is highly relevant for students to study, especially for Canadian students. The novel itself not only centers on a largely forgotten piece of history, but also brings up the concepts of Canadian identity and the dangers of a paranoid state authority. What is especially important about such abstracts is that they do in fact pertain to us whether we realize it or not.

Prior to entering UBC, I had heard from a student tell me that thirteen weeks in one semester does go by very quickly. Now that it is already near the end of the fifth week, I admit that I cannot agree with him more. I predict that my schedule for the upcoming week will indeed be very busy for me since midterm exams are taking place. However, since the time I wrote my last blog posting, I did pick up practical skills that are well calibrated to studying in preparation. Another area of interest this week was the text, Democratic Citizenship and the Narrative Imagination, by Martha Nussbaum.

The first aspect that I would like to comment on is chapters three and four from Janet Giltrow’s book, Academic Writing. When I read the first chapter in the book a few weeks ago, my first impression was that the content was mundane and simply a reiteration of what I already know. However, chapters three and four, which centered on summary and citation skills, did in a way change my perspective. After having read these chapters, I now agree that the book provides explanation for tangible skills that I can for sure implement when reading texts for both ASTU and other courses alike. Such techniques that Giltrow describes in the book include gist-noting and levels of generality, both of which are skills that I wish I could have learnt during secondary school so that I could have scored higher on my Provincial or AP Exam. Nevertheless, given that my geography midterm is next week, it would indeed be helpful for me to make use of Giltrow’s techniques when I study.

This week I also read Nussbaum’s text, which I believe sheds light on relevant reasons about why educators across various nations place such a significant emphasis on the study of fictional works. Realistically, literature is not just simply a medium for enhancing the linguistic ability of students. Moreover, throughout history, fictional works have contributed substantially to social and political change through invoking imagination. As an example that Professor Latimer brought up during the joint lecture on Tuesday, Joy Kogawa’s novel, Obasan, has raised so much public awareness about the internment of Japanese Canadians during WWII that even Canadian prime ministers have made reference to the novel when making public apologies about the issue. Now having read Nussbaum’s text, I can now make sense of the reason why the general public has such a high regard for literature and why there is the existence of the Nobel Prize for Literature. Indeed, the impact that literature can create on a society can be equally as significant as a scientific discovery or a peace conference.

To conclude, the material that I studied this week did bring me to new realizations about academic skills and did enrich my knowledge about the potential effect that literature can create on a society. While I still agree that learning academic skills may not seem very amusing in nature, we can never forget that such skills can in fact emerge to become very practical, especially in a time like the now where I have exams nearing. Furthermore, when I read fictional works from now on, I will always keep in mind the ideas that Nussbaum presented in her text.