So we get to the last blog of the year, 53 in all for the course. Thanks for the effort many of you put into this part of the class. Some of you did this right away, some of you at the most ungodly times (2 in the morning?), some of you first thing in the morning, some of you minutes before the 8:30 deadline. No matter. You did the work. Good for you.
Here is a brief biography of John Okada. The bio makes an interesting, and probably valid, point: if Okada had made Ichiro more autobiographical, then perhaps the novel would have found an audience in 1957 among Japanese Americans, for whom the novel was clearly aimed. For Okada was really Kenji: a decorated war veteran. But as the bio points out, Okada was drawn to a No-No Boy acquaintance in the camp were both were interned. Okada's brilliance is his ability to understand perfectly the mind of someone who made the opposite choice from himself. His brilliance is his ability to inhabit every mind in his panoramic view of a seething community. Most people you will meet in college and after will never have heard of this novel: but some will. Count those folks as being pretty darn cool.
Anyhow. The book is over. Bull beats Freddie: Ichiro beats Bull: Freddie is "just about cut..in two" (249). Ken is dead. Mrs. Yamada dies a suicide. The community—perhaps the psyche of America itself, circa 1947-1957—is being destroyed from within. Yet...Ichiro feels a "glimmer of hope" (250).
1. So how does Okada conclude this novel? Is it a hopeful ending—do we believe Ichiro? What makes him feel hope? Is he really seeing reason for hope—or, like Emi and her singing "The Star Spangled Banner", is he convincing himself of something to assuage the hopelessness around him? Quote twice from the last chapter; and write several sentences—not just a few thrown together on your phone. Please, think about this question and answer it thoughtfully.
2. Late addition. In today's Slate.com, an article that dovetails all too comfortably in our discussion. Read it here: and take a minute to tell us what you think about it.
See you guys tomorrow.
1. I think that Ichiro has finally come to terms with who he is and where he comes from. I think Ichiro feels hopeful because he finally feels secure with himself and the people around him like when the veteran at the bar said “Let me buy you a drink. You’re not the brawling kind” (246), he doesn’t protest, he doesn’t think anything of it like he did when he went out with Emi. I think the world around him is still hopeless as the article from Slate said too. I think he’s kind of falling into the mindset that his mother was in in a way. The idea that everything is ok and that he will melt back into society and that there’s a light at the end of this dark and racist tunnel but its 2013 and we still have major issues with race. He is still “driven by fear, urged by a need to fight this thing which no amount of fighting would ever destroy” (247) and that idea that its still this tangible part of him is what’s going to keep him back.
ReplyDelete2. I think that the man who wrote this is correct and that we are a society obsessed with race. Everyone wants to know where you come from if you look different or if you have a name that isn’t pronounceable by most Americans. And the idea that we live in a world were there is a group of people that think that all colored people are bad and are associated with terrible acts is horrific in itself.
1. In the end, as Tanja said and as we discussed in class, it seems that Ichiro comes to terms with his identity. He no longer seems so caught up in his potential identity as a no-no boy. Honestly the entire last chapter of the book caught me a little off guard. I in no way expected the book to end with a bar fight and a fatal car wreck in which one of the relatively undiscussed characters of the novel dies a horrible death. I'm still struggling with how this applies to the concepts that it seems the book had been discussing all this time. One of the things in this chapter I found to be interesting was Ichiro's comment in route to the Club Oriental when he claims, "It was a free world, but they would have to make peace with their own little world before they could enjoy the freedom of the larger world." While this isn't necessarily indicative of a discussion of the American dream it is clearly a sign of growth in Ichiro's character. No longer does Ichiro fumble through his time with no goal in sight. He has clearly made the decision to push through his culture's attitude regarding no-no boy's and move on. In the end of the chapter, on the last page of the book, Ichiro restates his earlier comment regarding the fact that the very sidewalk he is standing on is by definition America. He says, "In the darkness of the alley of the community that was a tiny bit of america..." This shows some level of understanding that his community is a distinct part of America and that all of the members of the community are themselves American. By extension, in the end of the novel Ichiro finally accepts that he himself is an American.
ReplyDelete2. I found the article to be a scathing report of the presence of discrimination based in race in America, and rightfully so. I had already heard a couple accounts of the situations that were mentioned in the article across the internet, but I suppose a certain level of callousness prevented me from initially realizing how telling this experience is of the disgusting sub-conscious racism that takes place across America.
1. The dark events that occurred in the last few chapters made me doubt whether there was some hope in this damaged world. The hatred shown by both Bull and Freddie makes me believe that this community is damage beyond repaired, “I ain’t sorry. You hear? I ain’t sorry. Damn right I ain’t. I hope he goes to hell. I hope he…” (250). Such hatred is a reflection of Ichiro’s thoughts at the beginning of the novel, “Friggin’ niggers, he uttered savagely to himself” (5). However, when Bull breaks down, Ichiro does not look at him condescendingly, but shares his sorrows. He realizes that his life was empty and lonely like Bull’s life. He feels the loss of being the hero and the villain and begins to look forward to a happy future with people like Emi and Mr. Carrick. His hate toward himself and others dissolves and opens a path to a new beginning.
ReplyDelete2. I completely agree that we live in a country that is obsessed with race. The same day of the massacre, I heard people accusing Muslims for what happened. I was sad to hear such of things especially from groups of people that complain about racism and generalization. Race and ethnicity are obviously important for nearly every application wants to know what your race and/or ethnicity is. We are quick to assume that many crimes are committed by a person of color. We antagonize people of color and feel no remorse by doing this. It is common to hear these kinds of things but to see the media make such indignant accusations are frustrating.
I think obviously that one could argue both ways here with this question. I think that the way the last few pages are set up, with Ichiro finding comfort and a solution in many ways amidst this total chaos that one could argue represents America, one could easily say that Ichiro is simply, as Emi does, convincing himself of something that isn't necessarily there in order to combat the hopelessness around him. "A siren moaned, shrieked, then moaned to a stop with a screeching of breaks.[...]Ichiro put a hand on Bull's shoulder, sharing the empty sorrow in the hulking body, feeling the terrible loneliness of the distressed wails[...]A glimmer of hope-was that it?" (250). It could possibly be Ichiro making up a scenario in his head that is much better than reality in an attempt to almost thwart reality or cheat reality, as we see Ichiro's mother do as far as the letters from her Japanese family crying out for help. "'Oh, they are so clever,' she suddenly said very clearly in a voice slightly nasal, 'even to the secret which I had long forgotten. How they must have tortured her to make her reveal it. Poor, poor sister.'" (110). But I think that Ichiro is not creating this, I think that there is true hope amidst this chaos we see in the last scene. The last scene to me represents an America that truly is chaotic and full of complexity and struggles, but an America where a man, Ichiro, has learned to see and to find the hope amidst this chaos, where he has learned that this very chaos is not exactly all there is to it, that there are in fact glimmers of hope that one must cling onto in any attempt to progress. "In the darkness of the alley of the community that was a tiny bit of America, he chased that faint and elusive insinuation of promise as it continued to take shape in the mind and in heart." (251). So, while it may just barely be present, there is in fact reason for the hope that Ichiro feels.
ReplyDeleteWell, I think there's no arguing that this article is absolutely right. And it ties into our book nicely in that race is overlooked by many initially, or it may appear that way, when in actuality race and a difference in race and a categorizing that is done based on race is prominent in American society, so prominent in fact that it can be looked at as subconscious, engraved into our heads. This creates a struggle in society among those minorities based on race as we see in this book, and not much has changed from then to now.
1. The end was certainly upsetting, but I don't think it was hopeless. I think Ichiro realized something really important in this chapter, that to better the situation for Japanese in America they have to heal their own community first: "It was a free world, but they would have to make peace with their own little world before they could enjoy the freedom of the larger one" (244). I think Ichiro is definitely starting to make peace with his community, and it seems like even Bull is. The fighting was violent and hateful, but in the end, Bull and Ichiro speak civilly with each other. Bull seemed to really understand how terrible the situation is when he began sobbing: "Then he started to cry, not like a man in grief or a soldier in pain, but like a baby in loud, gasping, beseeching howls" (250). Bulls crying to me is an indication that everyone is starting to realize how ridiculous all the hatred is, and that is hopeful. However, I do not see this as evidence that in terms of America as a whole anything will get much better.
ReplyDelete2. I completely agree with that article. When I saw on the news the accusations that it was a black man, I was furious, because clearly they had no claim other than the fact the he is black. The most disturbing thing in the article in my opinion, and also most related to our discussion, was O'Reilly's response to the article. As the writer says: O’Reilly, in fact, took a step into straight-up slander by subsequently claiming that I am hoping Americans kill other Americans in terrorist attack. The fact the O'Reilly is using "white" and "American" interchangeably and insinuated that people of color are "non-American" is repulsive.
1. Ichiro’s community is fractured and probably won’t ever return to the way it once was, but at least Ichiro is optimistic about it. There may not be anything that warrants any sort of hope, but Ichiro, who once felt like he had no purpose or place in the world, has a feeling that something might change and this “feeling was pretty strong.” (251) Regardless of what is going on in the bigger picture, Ichiro has changed completely from where he started in the beginning of the novel and that is important. I think that Ichiro, once crippled by self doubt and self hatred, sees himself and his decisions in a better light than he had before. When Bull says that he “wasn’t fightin’ my friggin’ war for shits like you,” (247) rather than believing it and not doing anything about it, he joins in on the fight against Bull. While violence is not the answer, I almost praise Ichiro for what he did because he finally took ownership of himself, and the passive, self-loathing Ichiro in the beginning of the novel has faded away and been replaced with an Ichiro who understands his past and is willing to move on from it. The place where the novel ends is not hopeful in its depiction of race relations and discrimination, but the fact that Ichiro sees some sort of hope and believes that there is something good out there somewhere for him is hopeful to me because he has now found a purpose. He can’t change society and make America a better place for non-whites, but he can change the way he approaches the world and to approach the world with hope is certainly an improvement for him.
ReplyDelete2. Like Tanja said, our society is obsessed with race and setting certain races and ethnicities up as “the other,” a culture they can demonize and feel superior over. It’s almost easier and more comforting for people to see that it is a “dark-skinned male” or an Arab student committing heinous crimes because there’s a relief when it’s the other and not “one of us.” It’s always been like that in our society and I am not optimistic that it is going to change.
1) Okado concludes this novel with a "light at the end of the tunnel" motif. There is this vague and fleeting sense of hope that Ichiro has finally come to discover throughout the last few chapters. This book has been one full of hate, especially an internal sort of hate in the Japanese-American culture. Freddie says, "Aghh, friggin' Jap. Always out to give me a bad time" (240). It has been increasingly difficult for me to find any sense of hope in such a bleak and depressing novel where people who should be joining together are going against each other. I was relieved to read the last few chapters, to see Ichiro go look for a job, to meet Emi, to have this close relationship with Kenji. In this last chapter, Ichiro really has come to terms with who he is and now begins to accept himself. "He chased the faint and elusive insinuation of promise as it continued to take shape in mind and in heart" (251). Ichiro isn't fully a changed man, but I think that this is a way more realistic ending to the story: he is trying.
ReplyDelete2) I completely agree with this article. I think that ever since 9/11, American society has been even more consumed with the idea of race than before. It is really depressing and embarrassing that even news crews come to the assumption that if there is a saudi man at the marathon running away from the bomb just like EVERYONE else, he must be the culprit. When I first heard about the bombing, I was at a doctor's office waiting room up in Sandy Springs. The waiting room had FOX news on, which I generally oppose watching because it tends to do the exact things expressed in this article. The reporters talking about the bombing made me cringe because they were being completely racist and inappropriate. To be quite honest, his article really makes me feel ashamed of living in America.
1. Ichiro didn't die that night. He was the smart one, the one that knew that even though the world may be twisted, he isn't going to go out, assault a billiards owner, start a fight with a hulk, and kill himself with a car. No, Ichiro is above that. He is willing to become part of a solution, a solution to stop his depression, to think new thoughts and to change the way he sees the world around him. He has stepped away from his old self, the person who looked at blacks and thought nigger, the person that assumes someone would only buy him a drink based on his race. And in doing so, I think Ichiro has been a heroic character. The book has culminated to this, his newly realized resolve, that to make America a better place, one cannot look at other people and wish for them to be better; to stop being racist, to stop judging, one can only change oneself.
ReplyDelete1. Yes, I think that it is a hopeful ending. Quite a few people had to die for it to happen, but Ichiro is improving. His lack of concern over Freddie’s death might be a bit weird, but the fact that he wasn’t angry with Bull or anyone else makes it seem like he’s accepting things. “Ichiro put a hand on Bull’s shoulder, sharing the empty sorrow in the hulking body, feeling the terrible loneliness of the distressed wails, and saying nothing. He gave the shoulder a tender squeeze, patted the head once tenderly, and began to walk slowly down the alley…”(250). Ichiro is now the one who seems to have things together. He may have a dark view of reality still, but he is now the one doing the consoling and empathizing. He’s the one looking forwards instead of backwards. Okada also does a nice job of contrasting him with Freddie. They both made the same decision to go to prison. They’re in two very different positions though.
ReplyDelete“ ‘Seems to me like you’re out to lick the system singlehanded.’
‘I ain’t, but if I am, so what? I’m just livin’.’
‘Take it easy, Freddie.’
‘Aw, can it.’ Anger pulled his face taut as he yelled at Ichiro”(242).
Freddie is still depressed and full of anger. On the other hand, we haven’t gotten a long, depressing monologue from Ichiro for a long time. Maybe he sees the destructive nature of the path he might have gone down and that he can make his own happiness by not being like Freddie. Maybe he really sees that the world is just dark at that point in time and there’s not much to do about it. Either way, he’s taking it in stride, which is a good thing.
2. This article is really depressing but not surprising. Most people don’t want to hear about the young white male who went insane and took advantage of loose gun control laws. It’s much more comforting to know that it was an Islamic terrorist or someone else brown (not a real American, one of us would never do that). I really hope to never hear about anything that Bill O’Reilly says ever again. These people are fantastic about turning something horrible like this into something exciting and self-assuring.
1. I feel that among the ruin of death and sadness there is hope. Ichiro sees hope because amid the chaos of the last chapter Ichiro makes a break through. Bull is just as lonely as sad as any of the No-No boys. After defeating Freddie all Bull is left with is himself. He tries to keep up his appearance of aggression, but it falls apart, "'I ain't sorry. Damn right I ain't. I hope he goes to hell. I hope he...' The words refused to come out any longer. Mouth agape, lips trembling, Bull managed only to move his jaw sporadically...Then he started to cry, not like a man in grief or a soldier in pain, but like a baby in loud gasping, beseeching howls" (250). This moment displays how similar Bull and Ichiro are. Ichiro doesn't see Bull as an aggressor any more but as almost an equal. He doesn't like Bull, but he can relate to him in a way that Ichiro would have never thought of before. Bull falls apart and realizes that no matter what he does he will always be Japanese. In the eyes of America he is just a Japanese man wearing a U.S. army jacket. During the fight Bull says, "'You goddamn Japs think your pretty smart, huh? I wasn't fighting my friggin' warfor shits like you'" (246-247) and denies his own identity. When Bull is crying both he and Ichiro realize that they are the same. Though Kenji, Freddie, and Mrs. Yamada die they all give Ichiro hope in different ways. Ichiro has come to terms with his heritage and his country now. Emi told Ichiro that he had to feel patriotic, but by the end of the book he didn't have to try as hard anymore, "He walked along, thinking, searching, thinking and probing, and, in the darkness of the alley of the community that was a tiny bit of America, he chased that faint and elusive insinuation of promise as it continued to take shape in mind and in heart" (251). This quote reflects back to the part in the book where Ichiro finds himself on"a small span of concrete which is part of the sidewalks which are a part of the city which is a part of the state and the country and the nation that is America" (34) where he feels like an ousider. Now Ichiro walks through an alley in America feeling like a part of his country again and starting to accept the part of him that comes from Japan.
ReplyDelete2. I think that the article is absolutely right. If know isn't the time then when is the time to show the racism of the country. After the civil rights movement, legislation finally showed signs of integration and equality for all races. Then the issue of racism was closed. Civil rights should not have ended with legislation. Racism is in every corner of society and we pass our country off as color blind because the law is equal for everyone. The law does not include attitudes and bigotry. How can we be color blind when racial profiling is a huge deciding factor in arrest? No one wants to touch the subject of race and we let the topic pass by. Ever since 9/11 bombing=terrorist from the middle east. It is not right and no one should be arrested on the basis of their race. Victims should not become suspects just because of what they look like.
"I wasn't in the army, Ken, I was in jail. I'm a no-no boy" (62). Ichiro's crucial moment when he comes to terms with his decision, his past, and the implications of the future, are all held in that one line. The ending to the book in a way is even more powerful. I think it is a hopeful but not happy ending. Ichiro needed to see the death of a no-no boy, which represents himself, to realize that he needs to get off of his ass and work towards a future. In many ways Ichiro is best under pressure, and under intense stress. He is a victim of his own thoughts, and when he is forced to be one person or another he shines. This horrible situation he is put in clears it up for him, and he can now move forward rather than struggle with his race affiliation or his family, or the death of Kenji and the lack of the white picket fence. He may not achieve that, and he understands that. But he can at least move, and not remain stagnant.
ReplyDeleteThis article makes me really sad. It is obvious that MLK's dream is further than america thought, but it reinforces the point of our book. Race will always matter, and always have an affect on the life and success of that person. Ken's idea of assimilation seems wrong, but at the same time if humans are so deplorable and judgmental that they stereotype "dark skinned males", we are left with no path to take.
1. This is a bit of both worlds. While Ichiro is trying to assuage the hopelessness he sees around him, he is doing so with a very real possibility and “the feeling was pretty strong” (251). As Ichiro himself said, it was a “glimmer of hope (250), and a very small one. But, it is there. And I think it is hopeful in the way that Zoe said. To better their own situation, they have to heal a community, and community split between the distinction of who went to war and who stayed loyal; who was American and who was Japanese. This healing is first seen I think when Bull starts crying when, if Freddie truly was someone he hated, wouldn’t be happening.
ReplyDelete2. I completely agree with the article. I remember I was following the bombing very closely (before homework caught up to me) but I remember hearing many preliminary reports about possible suspects, and how someone was a suspect for being colored and running from the scene. But then, I saw a different article pinpointing someone else as a suspect because he ran while everyone was covering their heads, and he was not colored. I especially agree with this statement: But that’s the thing: its only “not the time” [to discuss bigotry] if you happen to be a member of the group (read: white people) that is never collectively demonized. We, as a country, are obsessed with race, no matter how much people try to deny it. We are so quick to assume crimes are, and will be, committed of color, and yet, have the gall to say that we are colorblind. Even individually, everyone internally profiles people. As the article mentioned, I remember reading someone who hoped the bomber wasn’t a Muslim so that they would not be further demonized, and I had to agree.
1. This ending was so startling. I guess it's almost the inevitable ending, I should have seen it coming. The ending made me think back to A Raisin in the Sun and the poem A Dream Deferred by Lanston Hughes. Hughes asks "What happens to a dream deferred?...does it explode?". I think in a way Okada is saying that it does explode, it festers and grows, it poisons everyone until it explodes, taking everyone with it. When Ichiro is watching Freddie and Bull fight and goes to join in, someone tries to stop him. They tell him not to join, and Ichiro replies by saying "I haven't got much choice" (246). This single sentence summed up the whole chapter for me. This fighting, the violence, Freddie's demise, they are all inevitable, it seems as if none of them really has much of a choice. I think Okada, like he has been throughout the whole novel, is being ironic. Ichiro's newfound hope directly contradicts everything we have seen play out. The very last line in the book is "he chased that faint and elusive insinuation of promise as it continued to take shape in mind and in heart" (251). This line, so full of promise, is so contradicting to the entire rest of the novel. I think the end leaves it completely up the the reader to decide, the skeptic would see irony where the optimist would see hope.
ReplyDelete2. This article does not surprise me at all. We have stereotypes and stigmas buried so deep in our society that when something goes wrong, we immediately pin it on the easiest target. I've heard so many stories of non-white people in airports being "randomly" selected for extra screening more so than white people. This reminds me of the whole controversy about building the mosque near ground zero. We cannot continue blaming all people or a race or religion or ethnicity for the acts of a few extremists in the past. We want, more than anything, to distance ourselves from these attacks. We group people into subcategories. The suspects have to be "non-white" or some other group because god forbid we tell the truth and refer to them as American.
The book has a dark conclusion, but I can also see how Ichiro sees it as a new beginning. When Bull breaks down "not like a man in grief or a soldier in pain, but like a baby..."(250), it is finally nailed into Ichiro's head that no one is happy. Everyone is lost, no matter what decisions they have made. Even though Bull the veteran has honor, he still exposes that he is not as dignified as one may expect. This is severely depressing, but it act as an equalizer. Pain is something that everyone shares in Itchy's world, and it makes him feel less alone. He now sees that his unhappiness is a result of his own attitude towards life. "It's a matter of attitude. Mine needs changing"(209) says Ichiro. As Jake said before, this makes all the difference.
ReplyDeleteWow. This man is angry and for good reason. As I read this article, it was saddening to hear the false accusations of the Saudi, but all I can say is "Well, of course. What's new?" It's painful to say, but given a line up of random people off the street and picking a suspect, I would probably pick a Muslim male. It's so difficult NOT to believe that. Hearing Muslim extremists about their hatred of the US and everything it stands for and actions or attempts against American lives nail that stereotype home. I agree that there are many people "pretending to be offended that anyone might mention that bigotry is everywhere." This was a powerful and provocative article.
1. I think this is a hopeful ending. I think Ichiro has learned to appreciate himself and those around him. I think he's learned not to look down on other races as he is looked down upon and because of this we see that he has grown. He has learned to accept himself and that maybe not everything that happens to him is about his race, such as someone buying him a drink. Maybe he doesn't fully accept himself and who he truly is but he is certainly getting there. He doesn't have nearly as much self-hatred as he did int he beginning.
ReplyDelete2. I found this article extremely interesting. We are absolutely a society that is obsessed with race. It's true when he says that being judged by the content of one's character is just a dream. With our race obsession comes a more distant understanding of each other as people. I love the last paragraph: "the most powerful form of privilege is to be part of a group that is permitted to at once obsess over the “other’s” demographic profile, while also pretending to be offended that anyone might mention that bigotry is everywhere." He is absolutely right in that the privileged majority are extremely quick to racially profile and use race knowing that it would stigmatize someone, but would never admit to this. It's really sad that after everything we still haven't come all that far.
1.
ReplyDeleteI believe the hope that he feels is the realization that he does not need others to look at him in a different matter; to start the change, he, not those that surround him, needs to view himself and others in a different light. This produces that "glimmer of hope" (250) that he feels. He can even feel this change inside of him, as the narrator says, "He chased the faint and elusive insinuation of promise as it continued to take shape in mind and in heart" (251). The first change must come from himself, and we leave Ichiro on a road to recovery.
2. Late addition. In today's Slate.com, an article that dovetails all too comfortably in our discussion. Read it here: and take a minute to tell us what you think about it.
It is a rather depressing article for it shows that, while we have made certain advances in racial equality, in many ways hurtful stereotypes remain embedded in the general public. While the racism exhibited today may not be as blatant or as outspoken as it was in the mid nineteenth century, what still exists is just as, if not more, hurtful.
1. I believe that the book ends with a sense of hope. However like some of the other books we have read, that end with an immediate sense of hope, I think this book ends with me feeling like their is hope in the future, if that makes sense. Ichiro is still having trouble accepting this world and his new identity, but if he works hard enough, and tries to see past the color of his skin, and lets that define him his future can be very hopeful. Like we talked about today in class, a big change comes when he is at the bar with emi, and they are both skating arounf the real reason that the man buys them a drink. In that scene we see them both blame, and attribute this nicety to their race, but in the end come to the conclusion that it probably had nothing to do with race. In this section, on page 246 we see Ichiro not second guess the man or himself, “Let me buy you a drink." I think this is a step in the right direction and shows that there is hope for Ichiro, and others who are dealing with the same problems. I do not think that he is simply convincing himself to be more American, or forcing himself to feel like he is solely defined by his race. It was not something small for him, he really feels this is important,"the feeling was pretty strong” (251). This is not just a faze or a small part of his life, this is something he can take with him, and use to help him find himself. I think the book ends with hope, and hope in the future because Ichiro, truly the most negative character is turned to see himself as a human, and to see that he is not defined by his self hatred, or his race.
ReplyDelete2.this is the exact problem that the book portrays. A worlds where people who come to this country, or are born in this country, but are not the stereotypical white persona are put under a microscope. This worlds is still obsessed with race, and identifying people. They cannot simply be human beings, Americans, people, they are white, "dark skinned", "saudi". This article was distressing because it challenges the idea that we have moved past this racism. This openly judgmental society. It shows, like others have said, that no matter how far we think we have come, in all reality, we haven't moved that far from when this book was set. Which leads me to question if this book really ends with hope if we know the outcomes, and we know the future.
1. Like many of the other books with dark settings, the novel ends on a somewhat happy note: “he chased that faint and elusive insinuation of promise as it continued to take shape in his mind and heart” (251). Despite death and prejudice, Ichiro will still have that glimmer of hope to believe in, the Mr. Carrick, the Birdie, and the Emi, which will drive him forwards. In a way, Ichiro had previously generalized the world as no-no boys versus those who said yes, just as people generalized the no-no boys into being unpatriotic “Japs”. But now, Ichiro has seen that there is no one definite answer, and no one generalization that can be made about anything. He saw the other side of Bull: “then he started… crying like a baby” (250), and recognizes the multiple aspects of a person’s personality. Ichiro comes to terms with himself, and accepts who he is, rather than who he thinks others view him as. It is a nice ending, not because of the actions that have happened, but because of the ideas that have been learned.
ReplyDelete2. Yes, I agree that we are a society obsessed with race. It is absolutely horrifying that new agencies print out unconfirmed, just so they can reaffirm the public that it was “them” and not “us”. People manipulate facts to their own advantage, with no regard the consequences that may occur, and it is very unfortunate that this is a part of our nature.
1. I think this is a uplifting ending because Ichiro has become less of a negative person. He has stopped feeling so sorry for himself and beating down others because of his own insecurities. He has come to accept himself to an extent and learn that not completely everything is about race. Racism still exists unfortunately, but it isn't the reasoning behind everything that happens to him. He isn't a completely changed person, but he has grown quite a lot since the beginning of the book.
ReplyDelete2. I found this article extremely interesting, yet the subject just appalled me. It is so true that our society focuses so much on race and just pinpoints so many different stereotypes onto too many people. I agree with Amanda. I think that the last paragraph: "the most powerful form of privilege is to be part of a group that is permitted to at once obsess over the “other’s” demographic profile, while also pretending to be offended that anyone might mention that bigotry is everywhere." just hits the nail on the head. The author so acutely points out how often the privileged majority racially profiles people, but always turns around and says "Oh no, me? I'm not racist!" . It's been too long for this to keep going on, but it doesn't look there is any close-coming end.
1. This ending, when taken in context with the whole novel is pretty darn optimistic. I think Ichiro mentions the word "hope" for the first time in the novel in a positive sense. I also think that this ending represents the end of Ichiro's journey through the book: from being utterly hopeless and lost, to being able to recognize those same feelings in, ironically enough, Bull. Earlier in the chapter, he sees some measure of the same despair in Freddie: "this sorrow, painfully and humanely felt, enlarged still more the understanding which he had begun to find through Ken and Mr. Carrick and Emi and, yes, even his mother and father" (242). Reading the afterword, I noticed that Okada himself had the unique ability to understand the point of view of a no-no boy, even after serving in the Pacific in WWII. And, speaking through Ichiro, Okada declares that there is indeed a "glimmer of hope," even if it may be idealized and unrealistic. "He chased that faint and elusive insinuation of promise as it began to take shape in mind and in heart" (251), and the final statement of the American Dream is made in the last sentence of the novel- a fleeting, yet noble concept.
ReplyDelete2. Unfortunately, I would have to agree with most of the premises in this article. To be accosted running away from an explosion because you look "Middle Eastern" is an ignorant and completely unthinking act. The members of the media that capitalize on this fear and loathing are just as rude and backward as the people that don't know not to make these kind of split-second judgements and assumptions.
Things are finally starting to change. What Ichiro is afraid of, more than anything, is that he will forever be seperate from the other japs, and the other white folks, and the negroes. The hope comes from the fact that things arent as they were when he first came home. Even though there is hope, it definitely is only a glimmer. Ichiro hasn't done a 180 and neither has the world around him, he simply realizes that things will not be as they are forever, and that with time, he will see things differently. The end of this novel isn't happy ever after by any means, "sharing the empty sorrow in the hulking body, feeling the terrible loneliness of the distressed wails, and saying nothing".
ReplyDeleteRacism is one of those things that is going to take a good long while to change. It's provoked by the fact that people make a big deal out of it, and that it's eaten up by the media and spit out in lovely bite size chunks to anyone who will listen and inadvertently succumb to racial profiling. This article clearly spells out our failed attempts at racial colorblindness and of course its embarrassing.
1. I definitely was not expecting this ending and how abruptly it ended. Immediately after the fight, Ichiro walks off and the end. I think this fight and all the events have significantly impacted Ichiro and his perspective of the world and community he's living in. He's starting to look up and forward and progress towards something. He's not quite sure what that something is, but it does seem as though he's looking forward instead of his past. I think he's trying to motivate himself instead of pull himself down. This ending hit us and Ichiro hard, but it finally gave Ichiro a push that was necessary. It gave him the push to try to make his loved ones proud of him and to be proud of himself.
ReplyDelete2. I thought this article was really interesting. In different ways many parts of society are "race obsessed". People are constantly trying to defend their race or their racism or discrimination, or people are aggressively fighting racism. And in other ways our society tries to ignore race. But race is constantly surrounding us, and make us jump to conclusions and make quick judgments. I think in some ways we all have racist thoughts, even though we may not always notice them.
1) Just like The Bell Jar, this book does not leave us feeling warm and fuzzy inside, but it does have a happy ending. Ichiro has found the understanding of his decision and his identity that he has craved for years and can now prepare for the future. I liked this ending because it doesn' t unrealistically set up a happily ever after ending. Ichrio has the tools he needs to make progressive moves in his life. He has overcome his oppression, and is a stronger person because of it. "They would have to make peace with their own little world before they could enjoy the freedom of the larger one" (244). He can feel true freedom after he has come to peace with his own identity crises. I would argue that this ending is a glimmer of hope in terms of the American Dream. Okada repeatedly exemplifies the oppression of America, but at the end of the novel he offers a bit of hope: "He chased that faint and elusive insinuation of promise that continued to take shape in mind and heart". Success is not probable, but is reachable nevertheless.
ReplyDelete2) While this article is depressing, it doesn't surprise me. I'll be totally honest that when I first heard about a terrorist attack in Boston I thought of Al Qaeda, a group that has generated a horrible stereotype for an entire race and religion of. But I don't see a way where we could ever live in a racism-free country. Our society revolves around competition and we will naturally be oppressive as a people. That being said, we have come a long way as a nation and these stereotypes should fade as people become more and more educated.
1. I think the ending is very hopeful. While it is true, that the end is filled with violence and the untimely death of Freddie, I also think that the ending was good because it brought the story to a close. Freddie, the more depressed version of Ichiro, is dead and gone and Bull, the big War-Hero-Bully, is crying like a little girl. It may not be the happiest of endings, but at least it brings closure. When people would say that the ending is very dark, with all of Bull's quotes like "That son of a bitch. I hope it killed him"(249) and I ain't sorry. Damn right I ain't. I hope he goes to hell."(250) But then just seconds later he starts crying because the enormity of the situation suddenly hits him. I think all of those awful things he said about Freddie were just like empty threats, he didn't actually mean them and just said them because it was expected from him.
ReplyDelete2. The article does not surprise me at all. Racism has always been a problem in America, and most likely it always will be. Also like Ben, the first thing I thought of when I heard the bombings was Al-Qaeda. But when I saw the picture of the white guy holding the backpack I was surprised. I don't know if that makes me racist or what, but I think it shows up affected America is by stereotypes and racism.
1) I do think that it's hopeful. Ichiro is finally okay with who he is and I believe that is a huge step forward for him. There is almost no way to find peace with the world in which you life if you can not first find peace with yourself. This, however, is not indicative of an upward movement within the community. Freddie shows that there are still people that will make Ken's vision hard to attain, telling us that he "ain't sorry" for what he's done and that he "hopes he goes to Hell". This sort of intense hatred, whether it be provoked or not, will continue to stand in the way of the peace and understanding that Ken and Ichiro have both hoped for.
ReplyDelete2) I don't exactly know how to respond to this article, but I do believe it makes a very good point. People often attempt to justify racism or racial profiling by saying it was a snap judgement due to a feeling of panic or terror but I don't think that makes it any better, it just gives us a better look at how people truly feel. I do find it amazing how quickly and openly people tend to jump to conclusions.
I think it shows signs of hope and that better things are going to come just like we mentioned in class. People will forget about this and society will go back to what it was. I think it was a realy interesting concept that Ichiro may have created this whole mess in his head. I had never thought of it. The world may not completely change but Ichiro will be in a better mood and place. He will not hate himself as much and hopefully will accept the fact that he is Japanese. He has accepted something that he wanted to dissociate from himself and leave behind. And i’m glad he resolved his inner conflicts and hopefully be better. And thanks alot John for sharing this book that has significance to you and I’m guessing means alot. Also for sharing that brief anecdote yesterday in class. And honestly, and please forgive me, This article is fucked up. Well not the article, but the fact that The media automatically profiled the Arab male and the other colored males as the suspects. The writer is right, we are obsessed with race and like Ichiro, when he is offered a drink, we associate everything with race. This article made me furious, because it is sad that darker skinned people are still portrayed as inferior and as the bad race.
ReplyDeleteIchiro finally feels like some pressure has been let off after his mother’s suicide because her dominating figure isn’t hanging over him and he doesn’t feel like he owes her anything anymore. I think this has a lot to do with his coming around and realizing that there is hope left in his chaotic life, because her strong views were conflicting for Ichiro and prevented him from being able to have his own views. Also his experiences outside the house and with Ken especially helped him realize that there is hope left in the world and that not everyone is against him. “This Mr. Carrick you speak of sounds like the kind of American that Americans always profess themselves to be,” (169) this shows Ichiro that there is hope in America, that he will be able to find a place and build a life somewhere where there will be people who don’t care or judge him by his past. At the end Ichiro also sees that people who did fight in the war are not all settled and good-to-go in life; Bull has just as many if not more problems than Ichiro, “Ichiro put a hand on Bull’s shoulder, sharing the empty sorrow in the hulking body, feeling the terrible loneliness of the distressed wails, and saying nothing.” (250) By the end Ichiro has realized that the same things which trouble him trouble young Veterans of the war as well, I think in some ways this is reassuring to him. He knows he is not alone in his struggle and there are people out there who will listen.
ReplyDeleteThis article brings us back to reality and reminds us that we have still not reached a “color-blind” society in America. The competition for who is better and bigger and stronger is ever so much a part of society today and when competition is present then sides are created and “others” exist. It is really disappointing to see however, that generalizations so big as the ones made about the Saudi student are still being made.