“It said DO NOT DISTURB. The woman did not open the door.”
In “When the Emperor was Diving” by Julie Otsuka there is one character which stands out from the rest in my opinion. The mother, who is raising her kids without a father after his arrest, is preparing for their move to a Japanese internment camp. However, early on in the story a particular aspect of this woman’s personality stands out above the rest.
She follows orders almost as if there were a microchip imbedded in her brain compelling her to obey, of course this is not normal behavior for most people who tend to be more independent. She is machinelike from the very beginning when she reads the poster proclaiming their impending relocation her response to which was to simply write down the orders and carry on.
Another instance in which this woman’s steadfast obedience rears its head is when she is packing up the families possessions. When she comes to her daughter’s room there is a DO NOT DISTURB sign hanging on the door. Rather than casually dismiss this youthful attempt at independence she obeys the sign and carries on. In what other family is it typical for a mother to obey written orders from their children?
In addition to simply obeying all orders without much resistance, if any, is the extent to which she carries them out. The government would not allow those being relocated to bring their pets along with them. So she proceeds to free the bird and give away their cat, all perfectly normal so far. However, she then proceeds to execute their pet dog in a manner that can only be described as grisly. She claims she was granting the dog mercy, since when does mercy involve being bludgeoned to death with a shovel?
The woman exhibits obedience that is both extraordinary and troubling. It really makes you wonder what could have instilled in her such a trait. It is just not normal for someone of any culture to take being shipped off to a internment camp and being stripped of most of your property with such casualty.
No comments:
Post a Comment