The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka
Julie Otsuka is a Japanese-American author. Her novel, The Buddha in the Attic, is a candid overview of the history of the Japanese in America. Her focus is more on the plight the migrants would have faced and the entire tale is narrated from the perspective of the collective of Japanese women - "We".
The Buddha in the Attic is not a single tale but it is several stories which have been interweaved to create an intricate master narrative which is as diverse as it can be while capturing the universality of the human condition and plights of life. The use of point of view is one of the most impactful elements of this work of prose. Readers are not told what each husband did and how each wife was treated but they continue as "we" or "some of us". This is a stark remnant of the strong collective consciousness which is heralded in many East Asian societies. It stands in contrast to the highly individualistic Western world.
Other minority groups and othered groups such as Italians, Germans, Chinese, Koreans and Filipinos are also mentioned in Otsuka's intricate tapestry of pseudo-polyphony. It is interesting to read what the other groups thought of the Japanese and also what the they thought of the others. Many of the tales are narrated from the lenses of maids and domestic servants. The reading audience is informed that Japanese maids were treated better than African-American ones. Also, the strong rivalry and dislike between the Chinese and Japanese did not end when they crossed the seas. The fear and anger against Koreans is also prevalent in the work.
Moreover, Otsuka leaves little room for historical blind sight since she engages with the effects of the Pacific-Asia war during World War II on the Japanese communities in the United States. The United States of America declared War against Japan and many of the husbands were taken from their families by officials since they were under investigation. In the novel, many of them were never seen again. The author is unapologetic in her delineation of the pain and suffering this war caused on the Japanese-Americans.
The children of these migrants were also highlighted in the work. The mothers detailed how they felt alienated from their children as the process of cultural and social assimilation took its natural course. Some adhered and maintained traditions while others ignored them completed. Some were able to become will-balanced cultural hybrids who switched between cultures and were able to perform their roles with little difficulty.
The final chapter is most haunting. The Japanese all leave this fictional town. The town is never named. This absence of specificity is a testimony to the fact that this disappearance of the Japanese-Americans from the communities was not isolated event but was experienced by many towns along the coast. In this closing leg of the narrative journey, the "WE" narrator is now the other members of the community who are shocked that their nannies, maids, gardeners and grocery store owners have disappeared. The anticlimax of fading memories and niches being filled by Mexicans leaves a saddening taste.
The Buddha in the Attic is not a single tale but it is several stories which have been interweaved to create an intricate master narrative which is as diverse as it can be while capturing the universality of the human condition and plights of life. The use of point of view is one of the most impactful elements of this work of prose. Readers are not told what each husband did and how each wife was treated but they continue as "we" or "some of us". This is a stark remnant of the strong collective consciousness which is heralded in many East Asian societies. It stands in contrast to the highly individualistic Western world.
Other minority groups and othered groups such as Italians, Germans, Chinese, Koreans and Filipinos are also mentioned in Otsuka's intricate tapestry of pseudo-polyphony. It is interesting to read what the other groups thought of the Japanese and also what the they thought of the others. Many of the tales are narrated from the lenses of maids and domestic servants. The reading audience is informed that Japanese maids were treated better than African-American ones. Also, the strong rivalry and dislike between the Chinese and Japanese did not end when they crossed the seas. The fear and anger against Koreans is also prevalent in the work.
Moreover, Otsuka leaves little room for historical blind sight since she engages with the effects of the Pacific-Asia war during World War II on the Japanese communities in the United States. The United States of America declared War against Japan and many of the husbands were taken from their families by officials since they were under investigation. In the novel, many of them were never seen again. The author is unapologetic in her delineation of the pain and suffering this war caused on the Japanese-Americans.
The children of these migrants were also highlighted in the work. The mothers detailed how they felt alienated from their children as the process of cultural and social assimilation took its natural course. Some adhered and maintained traditions while others ignored them completed. Some were able to become will-balanced cultural hybrids who switched between cultures and were able to perform their roles with little difficulty.
The final chapter is most haunting. The Japanese all leave this fictional town. The town is never named. This absence of specificity is a testimony to the fact that this disappearance of the Japanese-Americans from the communities was not isolated event but was experienced by many towns along the coast. In this closing leg of the narrative journey, the "WE" narrator is now the other members of the community who are shocked that their nannies, maids, gardeners and grocery store owners have disappeared. The anticlimax of fading memories and niches being filled by Mexicans leaves a saddening taste.
Whoa, this seems like a promising book. There was much suffering and many changes happening in the lives of the people described here. I'd known about the difficulties the Chinese and Japanese (especially) wrought on the Eastern society but didn't think that maybe the Koreans might have, too, from the inception I get from this article. That makes one understand that history has many faces to it.
ReplyDeleteTo think that one race left the country and was replaced by another; it also makes us understand that life is unpredictable but life must move on with what happens next.