Obasan: Dehumanization Embodied Through the Imagery of Animals
In today's contemporary civilization, there is an unfailing output of dehumanization. This has resulted from the common issue of racism which our world has been dealing with for a myriad of years. Racism is defined as a discriminatory act based upon the intolerance of those from a different race. This act of hatred is often found to be based on false beliefs and is therefore considered to be extremely unjust. This theme of dehumanization is constantly seen throughout Joy Kogawa's novel Obasan in which she uses many images of animals in order to allegorically symbolize the hardships which Naomi's family is put through. These images of spiders, kittens, and especially chickens closely relate to the destitution of human beings during the outbreak of World War II.
The two spiders which Naomi and Obasan discover while fumbling through the attic are symbolic of the dreadful memories that Naomi experienced as a child. Naomi reacts to these spiders in a similar manner as to which she reacts to the memories of her childhood. Once she discovers these spiders, she is repulsed and in fear just as she is repulsed by the memories which she discovers throughout the novel. Naomi has been affected by many people throughout her lifetime. This includes her mother's abandonment as well as the sexual abuse of Old Man Gower. The reminiscences of such events in her life bring forth emotions which are quite dark and depressing. Another interpretation of the two spiders can be seen as the dehumanization which is set upon the Japanese-Canadians by the white Canadians. The second spider appears to be "lighter in colour, its legs more muscular, striped and tapered" (25) and seems to be aggressive with the first, darker spider. This suggests dominance of the second spider, which is viewed as the white Canadian, over the first spider which is viewed as the Japanese-Canadian. And just like these spiders in the attic, these memories will doubtlessly stay in Naomi's life until the day that she
The two spiders which Naomi and Obasan discover while fumbling through the attic are symbolic of the dreadful memories that Naomi experienced as a child. Naomi reacts to these spiders in a similar manner as to which she reacts to the memories of her childhood. Once she discovers these spiders, she is repulsed and in fear just as she is repulsed by the memories which she discovers throughout the novel. Naomi has been affected by many people throughout her lifetime. This includes her mother's abandonment as well as the sexual abuse of Old Man Gower. The reminiscences of such events in her life bring forth emotions which are quite dark and depressing. Another interpretation of the two spiders can be seen as the dehumanization which is set upon the Japanese-Canadians by the white Canadians. The second spider appears to be "lighter in colour, its legs more muscular, striped and tapered" (25) and seems to be aggressive with the first, darker spider. This suggests dominance of the second spider, which is viewed as the white Canadian, over the first spider which is viewed as the Japanese-Canadian. And just like these spiders in the attic, these memories will doubtlessly stay in Naomi's life until the day that she