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Evidence: "First he had been sent to Fort Missoula, Montana, on a train and then he had been transferred to Fort Sam Houston, Texas.… On the back of every envelope was stamped ‘Censored, War Department,’ or ‘Detained Alien Enemy Mail’” (p.10).

Analysis: From the stamps on the letters written by the husband and father, it can be seen that he is labeled as an “enemy.” Although the text doesn't give details about his job or background that might connect to spy, it is likely that he is simply an ordinary citizen who happens to be Japanese. Instead of being viewed as a citizen, a person, or a father, he is treated as a threat because of his identity. His personal freedom and voice are limited. This censorship of his letters reflects a broader persecution of Japanese Americans, who were turned into symbols of danger not because of what they did but who they were.

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Son:

“White dog he yelled. He clapped his hands again. White dog! He called out several more times, then went back inside and stood beside the woman in the kitchen. She was slicing apples. Her fingers were long and white and they knew how to old a knife.’ that dog just gets deafer everyday, he said” (13).

Analysis: This quote is interesting because it once again reveals how oblivious the children are to their mother’s actions. The son doesn’t even realize that his mother has killed their dog, and the mother chooses not to say anything about it. Notably, he is described as standing beside the “woman” instead of being described as standing next to his mother. This makes the reader wonder whether the children understand what their mother is doing and what is happening within their family dynamic. It is also ironic that he remarks that the dog is “getting deafer every day” in a rude, almost mocking tone, even though the dog was maliciously killed for no apparent reason. Additionally, the detail of the mother slicing apples with a knife creates an intriguing juxtaposition, shifting from the violent act of killing the dog with a knife to a domestic scene with the same object. This repetition of the knife imagery reinforces a sense of unease and vivid imagery for the reader.

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Evidence: “He was seven and a small black fedora was tilted to one side of his head… ‘Take off your hat then,’ said the woman but the boy refused. The hat was a present from his father. It was big on him but the boy wore it every day” (p.13).

Analysis: The boy is trying to make a connection with his father through this hat. His refusal to take off the hat even if it is too large shows how much he misses his father's presence and relies on this gift to feel connected. It may also indicate that the boy is trying to hold onto something familiar in a time of fear and uncertainty. Wearing the hat gives him a sense of comfort and safety.

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The woman was lonely(numb) and cranky.

Evidence: "She had not seen her husband since his arrest last December. She lifted it high in the air with both hands and brought the blade down swiftly on [the dog's] head"(Otsuka,p.10). "She was forty-one and tired"(Otsuka, p.12).

Analysis: The woman's husband had been arrested and detained in the camp for months. The absence of her husband made her feel the emptiness of the family. This emptiness turned her into a cold and numb person. As she used the shovel to kill her white dog that had accompanied the family for years, it explicitly demonstrated her mercilessness and emotionlessness. Her cruel behavior foreshadowed that her life was extremely miserable in the darkness.

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Evidence: "She pulled off her gloves and looked at them. They were no longer white. . . . She was forty-one and tired"(p12). "If she closed her eyes she could easily imagine that her husband was right there in the room with her. The woman did not close her eyes"(19).

Analysis: White is a big icon for innocence. From the moment where the mother puts down the White Dog, we can tell the mother is stone-cold, full of harsh experiences. In that moment she doesn't care that she has tainted her innocence/ purity. There is no indication of dialogue, the whole moment of killing the dog is weirdly silent. She simply is unfazed by it, lacking of common emotions. Similarly to this, the second quote on page 19 shows that she is rational over emotional. She does not entertain her emotions with the thought of her husband being around. She only focuses on what is real -- what is in front of her. Again, this characterizes her as emotionless.

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1. The girl was thoughtful and reflected on what she learned and saw.

Evidence: "She tossed her books onto the sofa and told the woman that her teacher had talked ... about prime number and coniferous trees" "Do you know what a coniferous tree is?" (Otsuka,p.12).

Analysis: What the girl said demonstrated that she was actively reflecting on what her teacher had taught her. This active reflection shows that she was interested in those fun facts and was eager to learn the world she lived in. She thought it was cool to share her knowledge with her mom. In addition, "Do you know ...?" reveals the strong curiosity in her tone. This tone shows the naive nature of children.

Evidence: "I will tell you later," said the girl. She was ten years old and she knew what she liked. She adored her pet macaw. She went to the bookshelf and took down Birds of America" (Otsuka, p.13).

Analysis: The way the girl responded to her mom showed that she had her independent thought of what she wanted to do. She refused to tell her mom about the Coniferous tree because she wanted to take a look at her pet and spend time in her hobby. This response shows that she had a clear goal and purpose of what she was going to do. At such a young age, she had already a definite goal for what she want to do, implying she was a thoughtful child.

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Evidence 1:

When she returned home from school, the daughter practiced piano for her lesson she would likely never attend and the, presumably, math test she would never take.

(Piano practice - p.16 and Math test practice - p.17)

Analysis 1:

Continuing to participate in the previously mentioned activities may suggest that the reality of leaving home hasn’t completely resonated with the daughter. Thus, she continues on as she normally would.

Honorable Mention -

Evidence 2:

The fact that the main characters are nameless doesn't apply to any of these tabs but I figured that I should acknowledge it nonetheless. Throughout chapter one and, in all probability, the rest of the novel, it is apparent that none of the main characters have names. The mother is referred to as the mother, the daughter is referred to as the daughter or sister, the son is referred to as the son or brother, and the father is referred to as the father. There is most likely meaning behind the fact that none of them have names, at least not yet.

Analysis 2:

The purposeful namelessness may been written the way that it was because the family is intended to represent the concept or collection of the families who did go through the incarceration camps. They are not unique individuals, in a sense.

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1. Joe Lundy, who is the owner of the Lundy's Hardware, is very kind and empathetic towards the mother. When the Japanese Americans were sent to the camp, the Mother had no hope and thought of their future whether if they have the chance to come back and resume their life. Joe must had known about this, as the poster of Evacuation had appeared everywhere, but in the communication between the Mother and Joe, Joe still said, "you can pay me later" when the Mother was checking out for the bucket (Otsuka, 5). It shows that he had the hope on the Mother and the family would come back, and pass the hope to the Mother to encourage her look forward. In addition to his friendliness, he shows a care of the Mother and the family that currently lost the role of father. Before the Mother left the store, he passed "two caramel candies wrapped in gold foil" to the Mother for the children (Otsuka, 6). He knew that the family was going through a hard time, so he tried his effort to support the family even though it's just two caramel candies.

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Evidence: "She scanned the headlines quickly. The Burma Road had been severed and one of the Dionne quintuplets--Yvonne--was still recovering from an ear operation"(4). "He pushed the quarters back toward her across the counter but he did not look at her"(5). "'Is there anything wrong with my face?' . . . 'People were staring'"(15).

Analysis: From page 5 and 15, it is obvious that the community is aware of the "evacuation," and perhaps how it is wrong. The way that Joe acts is almost guilty: he refuses to look at the mother, to take her money. He somewhat pities her. We can maybe infer that this might be the case with others in their community. The daughter was never odd before, but now that they are being forced out she feels the stares of others. Yet nothing is said about the situation. The headlines of the local newspaper have no mentioning of the "evacuation," Joe does not mention anything about the family leaving, nobody is saying weird things to the daughter. It is avoided, a sort of guilt or discomfort of the community.

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Evidence:

On the first page of chapter one, the woman only reads the posted evacuation notice once before immediately going home to pack. The narrator later explains that “it was the fourth week of the fifth month of the war…” (Otsuka 2003 p.9). And while explaining why the woman’s lawn had not been mowed in months, it is revealed that “she had not seen her husband since his arrest last December"  (Otsuka 2003 p.10).

Analysis:

With the information regarding how much time that “the war” has been going on, it is possible to infer that the woman only read the evacuation once before assuring its validability because she already knew she was the target of something or at risk. She knew the evacuation notice could have disastrous consequences for her and her family, such as what happened to her husband, if not obeyed, explaining why she did not hesitate in her verdict to leave her home.

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Evidence:

“She had played a piece at the recital the summer before. Her father had sat in the front row of the audience when she was finished he had clapped and clapped. She played the piece all the way through without missing a note” (18).

Analysis:

Originally, I had chosen the quote on page 14 about the son wearing the hat in addition to the quote on page 18 to highlight how the children miss their father’s presence, but then I realized that someone else had already analyzed the quote on page 14, so I’m going to focus on page 18. I found it interesting how both highlight how wonderful it is when the father is present and how the author chooses to explicitly discuss what happened to the father when he was in prison, and then highlight the memories and items the children miss. It’s also notable that the children only remember their father in a positive way: how the son worships the hat by wearing it every day or how the daughter plays the piano when he claps, while the mother only recalls negative aspects, such as him living on a cot and the leaky roof he meant to fix. The contrast between the mother’s experience and the children’s reflects the idealized relationship they have with their father and shows how the mother protects the children from knowing all the terrible things potentially he has done. It also shows how the children really miss their father; they hold on to these tangible items and memories to remember him without much verbal communication. The children long to spend more time with him, and are sort of sheltered from the harsh realities of their mother's life.

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On page 14, we see a little bit into how the father is to the boy. I'll put this on the brother/son tab but I think it can apply to him and the father. The boy complains that it is hot, and the woman (mother) tells him to take off his hat. However, the boy does not oblige, and keeps wearing his hat that was "big on him," that he wears "every day." This bit alone shows how important the hat is to the boy, important enough that he'd wear it even if it was uncomfortable, and important enough that he'd wear it all the time even though it didn't even fit him. What's important to note though, is that the hat was a gift from his father (p.14). This suggests that a gift from his father, or any connection whatsoever, is of great importance to him, and he clings on to that gift because it's most of what he has left of his father. This is a result of his father being sent to jail, showing how even though they are distant, the son still loves his father a lot.

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The woman was rational

Evidence:

"She read the sign from top to bottom and then, still squinting, she took out a pen and read the sign from top to bottom again." “She wrote down a few words on the back of a bank receipt, then turned around and went home and began to pack”(p3)

Analysis: When faced with the government's evacuation order, although the mother might have been filled with fear, anxiety and anger inside, she didn't show them. She understood that during times of unrest, protesting or complaining would be both ineffective and potentially dangerous, so she chose to comply.

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Brother's obedience and dependence

Evidence:

"When she began to play it a second time, the boy got up and went to his room and began to pack."(p18)

Analysis:

In the first chapter, the brother's compliance demonstrated his psychological development characteristics as a child. When faced with the sudden evacuation order, he lacked the ability for independent judgment and action, so he naturally relied on his mother's instructions. This compliance was not only an acceptance of his mother's authority, but also reflected the natural coping strategy of children under pressure, which is to seek security by relying on adults.

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Evidence:

"The door to the girl's room was closed. Above the doorknob was a note that had not been there the day before. It said DO NOT DISTURB. The woman did not open the door" (7).

Analysis:

This moment reveals a sharp contrast between the daughter and her mother. The daughter’s action shows her attempt to hold on to her personal life. It reflects her childlike innocence and her desire to create a sense of safety and normalcy. The mother, however, did not open her daughter's door. Although she’s fully aware of the power of the government and the reality of their situation as Japanese Americans during World War II, she gave her children the freedom they wanted. This small behavior highlights the mother respecting the daughter's choice under tough consequences.

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Evidence:

"'You have to stand up straighter' he shouted...'What's wrong with your head?'... 'Where's White Dog?' he yelled...'That dog just gets deafer every day'"(13).

Analysis:

These quotes reveal the boy’s growing frustration and aggression as his family prepares to leave. His sharp questions — “What’s wrong with your head?” and “Where’s White Dog?” — show how unsettled he feels,. Yelling about the dog also shows how he channels his confusion and fear into anger, because he doesn’t fully understand what’s happening to his family. This aggression reflects how the stress of the forced relocation is already affecting him emotionally, even before they reach the camp.

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“The first thing he put inside of his suitcase was his baseball glove. He slipped it into the large pocket with the red satin lining. The pocket bulged. He threw in his clothes and tried to close the lid but the suitcase was very full. He sat on top of it and the lid sank down slowly. Suddenly he stood up again. The lid sprang open. There was something he had forgotten. He went to the closet in the hall and brought back his polka-dotted umbrella. He held it out at arm's length and shook his head sadly. The umbrella was too long. There was no way it would fit inside the suitcase.”

(page 18)

Analysis: The son’s top priority is the baseball glove; it is the first item he packs in his suitcase, and he still presents himself as a normal playful American child who enjoys sports. The packed suitcase reflects the pressure and resistance he has caused by the evacuation order. Then he remembers his polka-dotted umbrella, it's too long and won't fit, he shook his head, the umbrella could provide him with some sort of shelter and protection from his understanding according to the berkeley forecast, although he's leaving the next day. It could transform him from an energetic child to someone who has to be considerate and learning about loss and sacrifice.

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Evidence page 20:

She put down the bottle and waited for the laughter to stop but it owuld not, it kept on coming until finally the tears were running down her cheeks.

Analysis:

This moment right here shows us the pain the mother is feeling. Having to be responsible for preparing her children and herself to move towards the concentration camps. On top of killing the white dog, and setting the bird free. It symbolizes that she is letting everything go and all those emotions caught up with her when she started drinking from the wine bottle.

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Evidence:

"In the living room she emptied all the books from the shelves except Audubon’s Birds of America. In the kitchen she emptied the cupboards. She set aside a few things for later that evening." (8)

Analysis:

Just like she sets aside a few things for later, the woman leaves Birds of America for her daughter. She is under the big pressure of the evacuation order but still manages to care about her kids. She is still maintaining a normal atmosphere at the house. This demonstrates her calm composure in the face of crisis and her ability to carefully attend to her child's needs. We see her ability to support the family alone.

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Evidence:

On page 15, the daughter is asking the mother if she has something wrong with her face since people were staring. The mother tells the daughter that her face is the most beautiful one she has ever seen.

Analysis:

This part of the chapter shows how people are starting to treat Japanese citizens differently. The daughter points out that people were staring, but she doesn't know why, while the mother reassured her that there was nothing wrong with her and that she is beautiful. The daughter has no idea of the racial prejudice against Japanese citizens. She did notice something was off, which caused her to feel very tense and anxious.

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Evidence:

"'Eleven, thirteen,' said the girl. She was practicing her prime numbers for Monday’s test." (17)

Analysis:

They are leaving tomorrow but the girl is still practicing for Monday's test. This raises the question of whether she actually notice the evacuation. I think the answer is positive. The girl intellectually knows the evacuation but she doesn't know how to react to it since she is only ten years old. She doesn't know where they are going tomorrow and her father is far apart. With little information and the fear towards the unknown, she does her homework and she practices piano. Because what else she can do?

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“The door to the girl's room was closed. Above the doorknob was a note that had not been there the day before. It said DO NOT DISTURB. The woman did not open the door.” (page 7)

Analysis: Soon after the evacuation order, the family had not yet left their house, and the father had been taken away by the FBI. There is fear in the house, and the daughter’s way of reaction is pulling away and isolating emotionally; she is affected by the sudden change and uncertainty. The closed door has become distant and silent.

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Evidence: “She did not know where they were going or how long they would be gone… She knew only that tomorrow they had to go.”

Analysis: The mother is doing what she has to despite the evacuation order her attempt to maintain control without knowing what it certain. The use of "did not know" shows the little information she was given she doesn't know the destination or how long it will take to get there and most importantly what will happen to her home. "She knew only that tomorrow they had to go" reveals her focus and intentions and plain according for her family. The mother almost calm obedience is actually a strength. She doesn't question the government's command because she understand the risk of defiance as a Japanese American woman in 1942.

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Evidence: “The door to the girl’s room was closed… The woman did not open the door.”

Analysis: This quietly reveals a lot about the relationship between the mother and the daughter. The closed door is hinting at emotionally distant and privacy. The family is getting ready to leave everything behind the daughter is isolating herself from all the craziness of packing and her mother's calm yet controlled way of coping. The note she leaves, "DO NOT DISTURB," suggest that she's overwhelmed by what's happening and doesn't want to face it head on. This small act of resistance that forms the realization that she can't stop the evacuation but she can control her space. It's also important to note that the mother did not open the door it shows her quiet understanding and restraint. She respects her daughter's need for privacy even though it means a lack of emotional connection.