Obasan
by Joy Kogawa

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Obasan: Setting 1 key example

Definition of Setting

Setting is where and when a story or scene takes place. The where can be a real place like the city of New York, or it can be an imagined... read full definition
Setting is where and when a story or scene takes place. The where can be a real place like the city of New York, or... read full definition
Setting is where and when a story or scene takes place. The where can be a real place like the... read full definition

Key Examples in Obasan

Chapter 1 
Explanation and Analysis:

Setting in Obasan is both physical and symbolic, grounding the novel’s personal and historical narratives in landscapes that embody memory, trauma, and belonging. In Chapter 1, Naomi and Uncle Isamu visit the coulee near Granton, Alberta:

My hands rest beside his on the knotted mat of roots covering the dry earth, the hard untilled soil. […] My fingers tunnel through a tangle of roots […] making it seem that my fingers are the roots. I am part of this small forest.

Chapter 2
Explanation and Analysis:

Setting in Obasan is both physical and symbolic, grounding the novel’s personal and historical narratives in landscapes that embody memory, trauma, and belonging. In Chapter 1, Naomi and Uncle Isamu visit the coulee near Granton, Alberta:

My hands rest beside his on the knotted mat of roots covering the dry earth, the hard untilled soil. […] My fingers tunnel through a tangle of roots […] making it seem that my fingers are the roots. I am part of this small forest.

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Chapter 38
Explanation and Analysis:

Setting in Obasan is both physical and symbolic, grounding the novel’s personal and historical narratives in landscapes that embody memory, trauma, and belonging. In Chapter 1, Naomi and Uncle Isamu visit the coulee near Granton, Alberta:

My hands rest beside his on the knotted mat of roots covering the dry earth, the hard untilled soil. […] My fingers tunnel through a tangle of roots […] making it seem that my fingers are the roots. I am part of this small forest.

Unlock with LitCharts A+