Sunday, January 5, 2014

In chapter 11 of Farewell to Manzanar, what are six emotions Papa goes through?

In chapter 11 of Farewell to Manzanar, the Japanese Americans in the internment camp are asked to sign a Loyalty Oath, which leaves many of them in a position where they feel there is no good decision for their family. The discussion of the Loyalty Oath leads Papa through a range of emotions throughout the chapter. They are most easily broken down by following the plot line of the chapter.
When the chapter opens, the reader sees a depressed Papa. He is still struggling with his time at the other camp and his lack of ability to do anything for his family at Manzanar, and his depression manifests itself through his excessive drinking. When the Loyalty Oath is presented throughout the camp, Papa becomes fearful of how the oath will affect his family, most specifically Woody. He is afraid that if Woody answers "Yes Yes" to the oath, he will be drafted by the American army. However, when Woody asks for Papa's advice about how to answer, he demonstrates practicality and responds that "Yes Yes" is the correct way to answer, not because of their loyalty to America, but because it seems likely that America will win the war. Papa's practical thinking is contradictory to many within the camp, and so he becomes argumentative because he must continually defend his decision.
At this point in the chapter, Papa decides to go to the camp meeting and speak on behalf of the "Yes Yes" vote. He demonstrates pride in himself by staying sober all day in order to be clear-headed when he goes to the meeting; he clearly wants to make the impression of a man that should be respected. The meeting turns violent, and Papa demonstrates anger when he gets into a physical altercation with another man who has called him an inu. When he returns to the family's house, one of Chizu's friends begins to sing the Japanese national anthem, and Papa cries. The song itself shows that Papa is feeling defiant, as the song demonstrates thinking that is directly opposite to the Western thinking of the United States. Papa's tears demonstrate his feelings of nostalgia, as the traditions of his family connect very closely to the sentiments of the song.

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