In chapter 8, we catch a glimpse of the past from Ichiro’s dad. He recalls the day that his relationship with his wife was on the descent. Does this memory explain why he is submissive to his wife?
Generally, death is a terrible and traumatizing experience. However, John Okada uses death as a way to uplift Ichiro. Why do you think Okada does this?
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ReplyDelete2) I think Okada uses death as a symbol of liberty to signify that life goes on even if characters like Ichiro lose close family members. In chapter 11, we witness that Bull gets into a collision with Freddie, follow on with freddie's death in a car accident. Instead of taking retaliation, Ichiro chooses to stay neutral because of his personal will. Despite so many family loses, Ichiro does not grieve over their death but instead, he hopes for a positive future because realizes that death is only the beginning of life.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to the second question of William's post, I agree that death is used in this novel to uplift Ichiro. We first see this with the death of Kenji, who we discussed in class is different from yet very similar to Ichiro. Kenji's physical suffering in a way parallels Ichiro's mental suffering. Thus, I viewed Kenji's literal death as a metaphorical death of at least some of Ichiro's troubles. Kenji's father also expresses to Ichiro the regret he feels for bringing his son to America. “For him, I think I should have stayed in Japan, where he would have been a Japanese with only other Japanese, and then, maybe, he would not now be dead.” (p. 184) Perhaps this gives Ichiro peace as he had waited to hear this from his own mother his entire life.
ReplyDeleteWith the death of Ichiro's mother, we see a great burden lifted from Ichiro as he is now no longer forcefully tied to his Japanese roots. We know Ichiro does not feel American either, but with the pressure from his mother gone, he can finally begin to discover who he truly is. He also gains understanding towards his mother and forgives her for not admitting her mistakes. “You are dead and I feel a little peace and I want very much for you to know the happiness that you tried so hard to give me…” (p. 187). This newfound clarity would not have come to Ichiro had he not gained the new perspective which death often brings.
Ichiro is a very cyclical character and I feel like Okada is very aware of that. If these characters were to remain in the novel, Ichiro would definitely ruminate over them even further and that's not what Okada wants. In order for this character to learn, he needs to come to terms with the information given to him and to do that, Ichiro needs to be broken from the cycle of life that centers around these characters. Death is definitely an overused device in the novel, but it also provides a splash effect that brings other characters into play.
ReplyDeleteIf Kenji hadn't died scene relating to his father or Emi would be relevant. Ichiro needs to confront these characters but with Kenji around, Kenji would be doing the talking. It's important for Ichiro to see Ken's father's grief because it shows him how other parents can be. As for Ichiro's mother, it's clear that her husband becomes a new man after her death. In a twisted way, there's hope and relief in her death and Ichiro's father, being the character that he is, shows that. Ichiro can't have such a large change in personality as his father because that's who his character is and to have this auxiliary reaction prominently displayed shows the grief and relief that Ichiro refuses to acknowledge.
Again, death is overused, but it's an interesting plot device to push the narrative forward.
Rather than providing an explanation of his submissiveness, I believe the memory Ichiro's father had was more of a way for the father to find an explanation for all the problems that they experienced in their lives. By pinpointing a supposed time that things began to decline, he could ascribe blame. The memory also seems to be some sort of lamentation, a way of expressing regret in a "if only we hadn't ..." sort of manner.
ReplyDeleteI believe the scene retelling the “first time” between Ichiro’s parents had more to do with him trying to understand why things were so tough. Ichiro’s father thinks that because he and his wife had sex before marriage that god was punishing them. I also don’t believe that Ichiro’s father was some how “submissive” to his mother, I think he was a man dealing with his own personal issues that he was dealing with and didn’t have the energy to challenge his wife.
ReplyDeleteI think death for Okada symbolizes relief, new beginnings, and moving forward. With both the death of Kenji and Ichiro’s mother we see the characters in the novel use these death to move forward in their lives. Ichiro, for example, throughout the book blames his mother for why he was locked up and his current hardships. When his mother dies Ichiro doesn’t seem upset about it at all, he is instead hopeful that things will finally improve for him with her passing. Ichiro’s drunk and reserved father even brightens up after the death of his wife. Ichiro and his father became closer post the death of his mother as well. Also Kenji’s father didn’t seem upset at the news of his son passing away, he instead seemed relieved that his son died a quick death.
No-No Boy takes on the theme of death in a variety of forms. I think the most positive idea of death comes from the introduction of Gary. He states in chapter 10, “It was good, the years I rotted in prison… I died in prison. And when I came back to life, all that really mattered for me was to make a painting.” Although, possibly coming off a little heavy handed on Okada’s part, I still believe this passage is effective, not only to the idea of a figurative resurrection of one’s self, but also getting that across to Ichiro. It’s no coincidence that towards the end, Ichiro, himself, begins to see that there is a continuance after the death of one’s identity. It’s demonstrated in him understanding and forgiving his parents, in celebrating the imminent divorce between Emi and Ralph, and in the loss of Kenji.
ReplyDeleteIchiro’s father is “alive” again, after the death of his wife, but tries to honor her existence, despite his marriage-long feelings of regrets he’s had towards her. Okada strives to convey the aftermath of tragedy, from the multiple lives Ichiro interacts with. And, It’s in these interactions that Ichiro can properly acknowledge that it is not yet too late for him, and that there is still hope for him in America. Ichiro definitely does not want weigh the burdens like his parents, nor become negligent of himself like Freddie. Ichiro learns through the enduring qualities of Kenji and Gary (who, in my opinion, are the heroes of the novel) that he can overcome the loss of his identity, beyond his own body.
Ichiro's father's recollection of his wife and their fornification pre-marriage brand the mark of the beast on their name because of the sin they commit. The moment their relationship heads south Ichiro's father realizes God is punishing them for their past actions, which they're unable to reconcile. Ichiro’s father spirals into a life of alcoholism to help him repress the agony after the war.
ReplyDeleteThey slowly experience separation as Ichiro's father can no longer console his wife, she refuses to eat, and acts insensibly which cause her to suffer a nervous breakdown that becomes fatal. This religious warning sign symbolizes Ichiro’s dad’s disconnect from his wife. It's at this instant he realizes they brought this upon themselves. Therefore, they must suffer the consequences.
I think that Ichiro's father blames himself for his wife's health, because he is aware Japan lost the war and his wife won't accept the fact that leaving America is a dream she'll never see come true. He knows life over there is hell and if she does go back there wont be a warm welcome or celebration because many members of her family are living in poverty. But instead of seeking to get her treatment, Ichiro's father ignores his wife's mental illness and let's her condition ultimately destroy her. When she dies Ichiro’s father’s burden gets lifted from his shoulders and he loses obligation and relations to his wife which breaks the curse. His father finally regains composure and begins to take responsibility for his actions from this newfound liberty.