Response to the trauma of World War II and Japanese Canadian internment in Joy Kogawa’s Obasan

Abstract

As trauma influences the lives of many people in different ways, it has become a prominent topic in literature. Joy Kogawa’s Obasan focuses on the traumatic experiences of Japanese Canadians during World War II and concomitant internment as well as the impact of these events on the community. This thesis analyses the novel in attempt to discover how two of the book’s characters Aunt Emily and Mother react to this trauma and how it influences the novel’s main character Naomi.