This is an excellent story of a Hawaiian Japanese American boy who is coming of age during World War II, and also a dirt poor time of working class Hawaiians. I found this to be a heart breaking story of this teenage boy who has a longing of a life of his own, but instead he is faced with huge debts that his parents left him with because of their misfortune and bad decisions and also the poor labor conditions.
All characters in this story struggle I noticed but they seem to persist on with family loyalty, guts and humor. I feel the title and story has an aspect that is about a coming-of-age, the internal struggles of a Japanese family or Nisei (second generation Japanese Americans). The title is about finding the old ways grating and confining but yet also finding pride in heritage as Tosh, does one of the main characters. Kiyoshi, the other main character is more comfortable in the divide between the Hawaiians and Japanese divide and just wants to understand the good points of the old ways, but knows his generation is different. Tosh is the one who says, “All I asking for is my body” which is an emotional statement. I also feel that the way the title is worded is due to the author, Murayama who kept traditional English, but much of the dialogue is Hawaiian pidgin Creole, which captures to me the difference between the ways the issei and Nisei communicate as well as strongly but subtly shows the divide between the two cultures and the life on the Hawaiian plantation which is another draw that I feel is related to the title of this book. The title fascinates me because it gives a realistic way to see races pit against one another to benefit corporations milling cane, this also resonates in today’s political world.
Segregation by debt is depicted in this story well, as well as keeping poor in their place being shown such as Kiyoshi’s family as they are trapped in their massive debt and low wages and also resembles the title. Tosh too supports the title as it is shown he is suffocated as if he is in prison, both boys reactions are varied but yet the complexity of their emotions are reflected in the story which reflects the title.
Concluding that the title captures Japanese-American experience in Hawaii, plantation life, reactions to Pearl Harbor bombing, the traditional Japanese family system and the confidence the characters have in themselves. This is displayed in Kiyoshi as he has a very strong family community structure around him.
This book is very well told in the eyes of perceptive Nisei who are in difficult situations and forced to make tough choices and completely reflects the title for me because of this as well as it gives a feel of living through your ancestors and just wanting your own title.
Lastly, this book and title truly are a power of emotions for the reader as to how a man is in search of himself.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Monday, May 2, 2011
All I Asking For Is My Body, Part II, Dialogue
Why does Kiyoshi believe Obaban is a substitute for his mom?
I believe Kiyoshi gets the idea that Obaban is a substitute for his mom from his mother’s belief in superstitions, she thinks if someone gets away with a bad deed then someone is going to pay for it and not necessarily the person who committed the bad deed this person somehow replaces them she believes. This is also where the term “substitute comes from in the book.
Kiyoshi’s mother becomes very ill and is hospitalized; he is to look after her and the younger children while his father is fishing. Obanan seems to be the one who lifts his mother’s spirits as she is doing poorly. Obanan goes onto to tell Kiyoshi about bachi, which means doing something bad and getting away with it. Obanan then says that if his mother can find a substitute to take her place of death because of her bad luck she may be freed from it before it is too late.
Kiyoshi’s mother than explains her substitute theory to him at this time thinking she was near death. She tells Kiyoshi that she is next in line in her family to die because she believes that it happens in fours. Kiyoshi’s uncle died from tuberculosis, his grandmother from grief, and his grandfather from a stroke, so she thinks it is now her turn in the family line. She went on to explain that it is receiving the punishment for someone’s bad deeds in her family which Kiyoshi believes her.
Almost near her death Kiyoshi receives bad news and finds out that Obanan died of a stroke and not his mother. He is relieved and in the story we read that she becomes better and this concluded that what she told Kiyoshi is true in that Obaban took her place and died as her substitute for someone’s sins.
I believe Kiyoshi gets the idea that Obaban is a substitute for his mom from his mother’s belief in superstitions, she thinks if someone gets away with a bad deed then someone is going to pay for it and not necessarily the person who committed the bad deed this person somehow replaces them she believes. This is also where the term “substitute comes from in the book.
Kiyoshi’s mother becomes very ill and is hospitalized; he is to look after her and the younger children while his father is fishing. Obanan seems to be the one who lifts his mother’s spirits as she is doing poorly. Obanan goes onto to tell Kiyoshi about bachi, which means doing something bad and getting away with it. Obanan then says that if his mother can find a substitute to take her place of death because of her bad luck she may be freed from it before it is too late.
Kiyoshi’s mother than explains her substitute theory to him at this time thinking she was near death. She tells Kiyoshi that she is next in line in her family to die because she believes that it happens in fours. Kiyoshi’s uncle died from tuberculosis, his grandmother from grief, and his grandfather from a stroke, so she thinks it is now her turn in the family line. She went on to explain that it is receiving the punishment for someone’s bad deeds in her family which Kiyoshi believes her.
Almost near her death Kiyoshi receives bad news and finds out that Obanan died of a stroke and not his mother. He is relieved and in the story we read that she becomes better and this concluded that what she told Kiyoshi is true in that Obaban took her place and died as her substitute for someone’s sins.
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