Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Obasan, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Race, Identity, and Citizenship
History and Memory
Speech vs. Silence
Selflessness and Decorum
Summary
Analysis
Back in 1972, Naomi looks through the box, which Emily sent to help Naomi “know everything.” Naomi doesn’t understand what Emily hopes to accomplish by keeping old documents and correspondence, which, Naomi thinks, only burden the living with the details of the dead. Obasan collects the twine that held together the parcel to reuse later, murmuring that everyone will die someday.
Naomi doesn’t understand the significance of Emily’s archival works since she doesn’t how see how tangible, specific reminders of the past could serve any purpose besides triggering traumatic memories. She also sees no benefit in attending to the histories of the dead, and this limits her ability to grieve.
Themes
Inside the box, Naomi finds two letters written in Japanese, which she can’t read. Obasan refuses to tell Naomi what the letters say or who they are from, only repeating that “everyone someday dies.” Naomi decides not to press unnecessary questions while her aunt is grieving. She finds Aunt Emily’s journal in the box and sees that the later entries are addressed to Mother, Emily’s older sister. She is struck with a new feeling of connection to her mother and aunt, but she prioritizes looking after Obasan over reading the journal. Obasan brings Naomi an old photograph and says that it holds “the best memories.”
Naomi is connected in many ways to her Japanese heritage, but her inability to read Japanese emphasizes the difficulty of balancing an immigrant identity with assimilation. Her sense of connection to her relatives through the journal speaks to the power of memory and historical preservation, while her decision to care for Obasan instead of reading the journal demonstrates Naomi’s instinct to prioritize others over herself.
Themes
