This week, our class visited the UBC archives, providing me with a unique opportunity to witness the meticulous preservation of documents, particularly those belonging to Joy Kogawa, the author of Obasan. Again, I was surprised by all the significant utilities UBC has. I have seen archives in movies and read them in books, but I have never been to one in real life.
The documents, meticulously stored in specially designed boxes to prevent ink smearing, include fan letters, scripts related to Obasan’s production, and other works by Joy Kogawa. Among these materials, I discovered articles by scholars such as Francois Mauriac, who examined Obasan through a religious lens in “Buddhist Way of Death in Joy Kogawa’s Obasan.” According to Mauriac, the novel explores the theme of “the death of God,” with protagonist Naomi grappling with various facets of this theme.
Obasan also delves into Naomi’s intricate identity, shaped by both her Japanese heritage and Canadian upbringing. Despite identifying as Canadian, Naomi retains strong cultural ties to Japan, particularly influenced by her parents’ Buddhist beliefs. This complex interplay of identities extends beyond the individual to reflect the broader reality of multicultural communities in our globalized era. People today embody multiple nationalities, challenging traditional notions of singular national identity. The term “Japanese Canadian” emerges as a new identity genre, illustrating the intersection of Canadian and Japanese cultures.
Mauriac highlights Naomi’s actions rooted in Japanese culture while acknowledging the influence of her Canadian upbringing. This duality reflects the intricate nature of identity in a globalized world, where individuals resist simple categorization. Obasan prompted me to reconsider not only the historical injustices of war but also ongoing conflicts, such as the evolving nature of self-identification in our multicultural society.
As we navigate this ever-changing landscape, I wonder what people will think about Obasan in 10 or 15 years, and how future generations might interpret the preserved articles of our generation in the archives. The interplay between the past and the future adds an intriguing layer to our understanding of the impact of historical narratives.
Hey Yuka, as I was writing a post for the class blog, I mentioned your thoughts because it was very interesting! Connecting the word “identity” which is one of the key elements of the novel, to globalization was something I never thought of. In the case of “Obasan”, it only expressed the struggles of identity crisis which was experienced by the Japanese Canadians. However, in the globalized society, an identity crisis has become way more common. And sadly, having multiple identities are not being accepted, especially in a homogenous society such as Japan. Since I am from a Japanese community and have a background of more than one culture, I feel that our generation should raise the awareness of this issue.
I also wondered how interpretations of Obasan will shift over time. It is strange to think that this novel may have different meaning in a decade or two. As you mentioned many nationality are becoming blended and therefore creating new genres that make up a different identity. As more cultured are combined it is curious to see how connected they will feel towards their ancestors. Globalization in a sense allows us to see a wider range of cultural practices but it also narrows the specificity of connecting with any one culture if they are blended. As an American with a japanese-hawaiian mother and european father going to school in Canada, I am glad to be a part of so many different parts of the world and have experienced so many cultural influences from my family and from the places I have lived.