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On page 14, the son refuses to take his hat off even if he is hot because "The hat was a present from his father . . . . the boy wore it everyday"

Analysis

For the son, his father got taken away from him and the hat is the one gift he has from him. The way the son is refusing to take it off even when he is hot and wears it everyday although the hat fits big on him shows how much he misses his dad and perhaps his closeness to him. The hat, although it's just an object, it connects them both and makes him feel like he has his dad close to him.

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On page 20, the mother sits alone after releasing the bird, "She . . . began to laugh . . . . it kept coming out until finally tears were running down her cheeks."

Analysis

The mother has been able to hide her emotions throughout this whole chapter. She kills her dog and chicken and releases her pet macaw, she is actively tossing away her life and she can't even do anything about it. At the end of the day she finally gets a moment to herself were she can see the life she had. She gets a bottle of whine a sips it as she reminiscences over her life. She starts laughing uncontrollably at her helplessness, then she starts crying. eventually she's able to collect herself then heads off to bed.

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On page 21, the mom realizes that she forgot to give the caramel candy that Joe Laundy had given her to her kids. She says "What would Joe Laundy tell her to do... He would tell her not to worry about it".

Analysis

The mom has been dealing with a lot all by herself like having to make decisions for her family while her husband is in jail. That night she had done a lot to prepare to leave the next day like getting things packed and letting her pets go, etc. She's trying to stay strong and make sure she's not leaving anything behind. So, when she forgot to give the kids the candy, it was like something she had to do before they left their home, pets, and Joe Laundy. She remembers what Joe Laundy tells her as a way to deal with the stress she's feeling.

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On page 15, the girl asks her mother, “Is there anything wrong with my face?” When her mother asks why, the girl explains, “people were staring.”

This dialogue shows how the girl might have become aware that people see her as “different”. Her asking if something is "wrong" with her face suggests how she interprets other people’s action to personal flaw. While she may not yet understand the reason behind why people see her differently, her question reveals an awareness that her appearance makes her stand out. This exchange of words between her and her mother also shows that she might have felt anxious with how other people perceive her (15).

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On page 6, while the mother is in Lundy’s hardware store, Lundy insists that she doesn't need to pay for her items, saying, “you can pay me later” and “don’t worry about it,” which the mother quickly declined and paid for. He also offers her caramel candies for her children, which she accepted.

The interaction seems to suggest a close relationship between Lundy and the family. His gentle insistence could imply that he is aware of the family's circumstances and possibly the father's arrest, prompting him to act out of sympathy. This moment appears significant as it may mark one of the first shifts in the family's public identity, suggesting they were no longer seen as just neighbors but were instead beginning to be treated with pity (6).

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On page 17, we see the daughter studying, "she was practicing her prime numbers for Monday's test."

Analysis

The daughter doesn't know where they are going or why they are going. She doesn't know how long they'll be gone. The mother has kept the reasoning behind recent events hidden form her children and the daughter studying for a test she'll never take is proof of that.

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On page 10, we discovered that the her husband was arrested and he was allowed to write letters every few days and he "Usually told her about the weather" on those letters.

Analysis

In this section I think what the dad is trying to do is not to worry his family. When he writes to the mother, he decides to write her about the weather although he could write about something else (maybe how they are treating him or how he is doing emotionally), but the fact that he is not addressing that proofs that perhaps he does not want his family to be more worried than they are already. The father perhaps knows how hard it is on her wife and he probably does not want her to have another thing to worry about or to even worry the kids.

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On page 7, the mother is packing away the father's things, "She emptied the drawers. Some of his clothes--the clothes he would need--she left out for him to put into his suitcase later."

This quote emphasizes the variety of ways the family is attempting to cope with the father's absence. Although the father is not physically present, the mother is trying to find a way to continue thinking and acting for him. By the way she leaves his clothing out of the suitcase, she continues to think about him coming home, and how she seems to want his presence. Her actions also seem to be conflicting because although she is leaving clothes out for him, she is also packing away valuable items such as the comic books and the rest of his items. Part of her wants to accept his absence, but also remind herself that he is coming back home.

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On page 12, the daughter asks the mother "Do you know what a coniferous tree is?" The mother admits she didn't know what the trees were and asks the daughter to tell her, and the daughter shakes her head no.

Analysis

The daughter asked her mom what coniferous trees are to see if the mom knew what they were. After the mom had to admit saying no, I think the daughter wanted to end the conversation since she didn't get the answer or reaction she wanted from her mother. She might have felt that her mom was too focused on other things like moving and didn't really want to engage with what the daughter learned from school. This shows the relationship they have where they aren't as close and expressive to one another.

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On page 10, the mother is beginning to do more housework, "The woman had not mowed the grass for months. The husband usually did that."

This quote illuminates how the mom is forced to take on responsibilities that were not traditionally hers, and she seems to not be doing them well. She feels overwhelmed with the copious amounts of responsibilities she has overtaken now that she is in the only position of power in the family. Although she may be overwhelmed with what she has to take on, the quote also illustrates how she is more than willing to complete these tasks in order to help out her family.

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On page 6, when the mother goes to J. F. Hink's for a duffel bag and discovers that they are sold out, the salesman she's talking to suggests she go to J. C. Penny's but they are also sold out of duffel bags just like the rest of town.

Analysis

As the mother looks for duffel bags, it appears that nowhere has them in stock and were sold out. It may be that there was not a large stock of duffel bags in the first place; however, for the whole town to essentially be completely out of stock implies that there was also high demand for such a product and many people were buying it. For so many people to be buying duffel bags during this time, it may mean that many people in town were getting ready to leave and were packing. To add on, there is also the possibility that people could be buying multiple duffel bags as that could also explain the whole town being sold out. If they were buying multiple duffel bags, or any at all, that tells they were preparing to pack up most belongings, perhaps in the situation they most definitely need to take everything with them.

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On page 21, the son climbs into their mother's bed and continuously asks about what the odd noise was until she tells him that it was the rain, in which then does he finally go to sleep.

Analysis

Not only does him climbing into bed with his mother mean that he is still comfortable with doing so but that could potentially also be explained from him being young and being used to sharing a bed with his parents. Besides that, him also coming to ask about the noise could show that he is curious person who questions many things and wants answers. Also, him continually asking him mother about what the noise is could tell readers that he is determined to find out the answer to his questions and wants to learn more until he gets answers.

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On page 28, “Tomorrow she and the children would be leaving. She did not know where they were going or how long they would be gone or who would be living in their house while they were away. She knew only that tomorrow they had to go.”

Analysis
This part shows the mother’s quiet fear and how she has accepted what is happening. She is getting ready to leave home because of the war, but she does not know what will happen next or how long they will be gone. Even though not knowing makes her scared, she focuses on the one thing she does know: they have to leave. This shows that she feels lost and like she has no control. The mother does not complain. She just follows the orders and starts packing, even while she feels afraid and unsure. This quote helps us understand how worried she is about what comes next, and it also shows how strong she is by staying calm and doing what she needs to do.

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On page 6, Joe Lundy, the hardware store owner, pushes the coins back toward her and refuses to take her payment. Then he gives her two caramel candies “For the children.”

Analysis
This part with Joe Lundy shows how other people in town react to what is happening to the family. Joe will not take money for the things she bought. That is his way of being kind because he knows she is being forced to leave. He even gives her candy for her kids, which is a small but sweet thing to do. Joe does not look at her and talks quietly, which shows he might feel bad or even guilty about what is going on. This shows that not everyone is mean. Some people, like Joe, care and try to help in small ways. It also shows how strange and sad the situation is. A store owner is letting someone take things without paying because he knows her life is being turned upside down. Joe’s quiet act of kindness shows that some people in the community understand and want to support the family in any way they can.

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Page 11 covers the death of the family dog, White Dog. The mother is packing up the house for evacuation, yet the family can't bring the dog with them to the internment camps and there is no one to take care of the dog. As a result she kills the dog, "The woman picked up the large shovel that was leaning against the trunk of the tree. She lifted it high in the air with both hands and brought the blade swiftly down on his head."

Analysis

This is a very dramatic moment, relatively early on in the book. Although we already know that the family is going to incarceration camps, this moment marks a big change in the book. We begin to see the emotional toll that this experience will have on individuals. This personal moment is also emotionally charged, and it makes the reader have some sympathy for the family.

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Before the family left for internment, the mother stood alone in the kitchen at night, looking outside of the window and thinking about her husband. A bird then came in from the window, stepped onto her hand, and began talking to her in her husband's voice, "Get over here.' he said, 'get over here now.'. . . .'You're all right,' the bird said" (19).

Analysis

The mother is overwhelmed. She is packing the entire family up, her entire life and house up, all in the absence of her husband. The bird represents the comfort and security of her husband that she needs and misses so much. The saying "You're all right," reaffirms to her that she is doing a good job caring for her family. It also reveals that she is craving support, and is struggling on her own.

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"'There's something wrong with this chicken,' she said. 'It's too tough.' . . . 'I can't swallow another bite.'

'Don't, then,' said the woman.

'I'll eat it,' said the boy." (Otsuka 17)

Analysis

The simple act of eating his sister food when she found it tough shows / foreshadows the boys maturity. Despite being younger than the sister, the boy took the responsibility to eat the chicken when the sister "immaturely" gave up on the chicken just because it was "tough," showing that there are moments where he is more mature than his older sister.

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on page 8, the mother is described as being in the kitchen packing some paintings that she wanted to take. she has 3 paintings but one of them always caught her eye. that painting was the gleaners. the mother later states how she hated looking at that painting and didnt know why she kept it up for so long. "it bothered her the way those peasents were foreever bent over above the endless field of wheat. "look up" she wanted to say to them "look up look up!". (pg.8)

Analysis

the mother gets heated whenever she looks at the gleaners painting, she wants to yell at them saying "get up" but cant, to her theres more to life than just being hunched down, for the gleaners the people were piking the eccess potatoes in oder to survive, and she feels like they have another way to survive its just that they are only focused on the well known side. like if there was another way to prevent hunger and not stay in the field bent down all day.

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"She went to the bookshelf and took down Birds of America. She balances the book on her head and walked slowly, . . ..

A few seconds later there was a loud thump and the book came tumbling back down the stairs." (Otsuka 13)

Analysis

The daughter's decision to balance the book Birds of America on her head while her mother is packing for forced eviction shows the lack of urgency as she doesn't fully grasp the severity of what's happening.

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on page 8 the mother is packing up items and choosing what to take and leave. " everything else the china, the crystal, and chopsticks that her mother had sent out to her 15 years ago as a wedding gift. . . she taped the boxes and took them too the sunroof where she later closed shut with two padlocks after storing everything". (pg.8)

analysis

the mother has the difficult choice in hiding all of her items that represent her culture and heritage. items that are specifically of japanesse culture, like the china, and chopsticks. she only leave out the american things such as the book. this is a tough moment for the mother because she has to leave behind her culture and things on what she has grown up with. its clear that she does not want to do so but has no choice. lighting the cigarrette after can be seen as a symbol of relief, after doing something that broke her heart.

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The Mother was speaking to her Daughter and told her to go play her Thursday lesson of the Piano. The daughter did not want to play it and said “Do I have to?” and the Mother responds with “No. . . only if you want to.” The Daughter responds with “Tell me I have to” and the Mother says “I can’t” (Otsuka 16).

Analysis:

The Daughter can clearly feel something suspicious is happening. It is almost like a feeling of asking “is this real?” because she can sense there is something wrong. The Mother also does not force her to play the piano because she does not know what will happen next. It seems as though she wants to make the most of the time they have left before they are forced to leave their home. She does not want to spend their last moments making her do something she does not want to

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The Daughter asked her mother if “anything was wrong with her face?” because “people were staring” as her mother tried to give her words of affirmation to steer her away from bad thoughts (Otsuka 15).

Analysis

The Daughter’s classmates were perhaps staring at her because she was a Japanese American and since they were in removal proceedings, they did not know what would happen to her. This caused her to question why they may have been staring at her, as she may have felt that something was wrong. Her mother tried to avoid the negativity from affecting her and made sure to help her feel safe.

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On page 82, we learn that the mother has a color photo of Jesus above her cot in the camp. The mother then states ,"He'd died once—for you. . .for your sins" (82).

Analysis

Buddhism and Shintoism are the main religions of Japan. Christianity/following Jesus Christ is not something that is inherent in most families, especially most families in the 1940s. We can infer that a newfound belief in Christ is part of the Mother is trying to "prove" that she is American by following a typical American religion. It seems that the mother may truly believe in the teachings of Jesus, as she tells her children that Jesus died for their sins. In this action, she is spreading the teachings of Jesus.

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The family has been in the prison camps for a while now, and it has been around a year since they have seen their father. The book reflects on how his sister has changed since Berkeley, “She ate all her meals with her friends. Never with the boy or her mother. She smoked cigarettes” (92).

Analysis

The sister is hitting puberty while inside the camps. She is in the preteen years at the moment of the quote, and by the end of the war she will be a teenager. Naturally she will change as a person, and the added discomfort, uncertainty, and awfulness of the family’s situation adds little stability for her in a time of confusion with her own body and feelings. I am also curious as to how this will affect the mother, as she is now watching her daughter go through a very developmental phase of life without the presence of her father and her husband.

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In When the Emperor Was Divine, the boy turned on the radio to listen to the forecast. The weatherman predicted rain and cooler temperatures (Otsuka, 2002, p. 16)

Analysis: The boy is portrayed as a responsible older sibling. He listens to the weather forecast and gives his sister instructions (to drink her water). His concern for their well-being is shown when he relays the message of taking an umbrella for the wet weather. The radio also provides a sense of routine. The boy thinks he's going on a trip and will be back so he listens to the weather forecast little does he know he won't be coming back.

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In When the Emperor Was Divine, "weeds were everywhere. The woman had not mowed the grass for months. Her husband usually did that" (Otsuka, 2002, p. 10)

Analysis: This small detail about the unkept yard speaks about the father's former role in the family. Before his arrest, he maintained the house. Now that he is gone, the yard is a mess, full of weeds and overgrown grass. This shows how his absence has caused some things to fall apart and the messy yard is a reminder that a part of their family is missing.

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On page 21, the mother goes though mixed feelings on the family's last day at home before their "trip." While drinking her wine " 'La donna e mobile', she sang to herself as she went down the stairs to the basement".

Analysis

The mom goes through a difficult time on the night before leaving their home and starts to sing the song "La donna e mobile." In the song women are described as "fickle." Like the lyrics suggests, the mother is unpredictable, like "a feather in wind." This is evident on page 21, when she can not stop laughing looking at the empty wall before breaking down and crying alone. Powerless to protect her family's future, she has done everything in her power and can only hope the best for her children, husband and herself.

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On page 7, the author describes the boy’s belongings as his mother packs them up: “She wrapped up his stamp collection and the painted Indian with the long headdress he had won at the Sacramento Fair. She pulled out the Joe Palooka comic books and his bed... She placed his baseball glove on his pillow.”

Analysis

Even though the boy is of Japanese descent, he is born in America and has embraced American culture. This is evident from his stamp collection, his participation in the Sacramento State Fair--a common American event--the Joe Palooka comics, which were very popular in the USA at the time and symbolize American childhood, and his baseball glove, which represents his connection to a classic American game. All of this shows that although he is a Japanese American citizen, born and raised as an American, he still suffers the consequences of his heritage and is not considered fully American by the authorities.