Okada's No Boy Rhetorical Analysis

Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, on 7 December 1941, killing thousands of American soldiers. At the same time, American diplomats were meeting with Japan’s military commander Isoroku Yamamoto, in an effort to maintain peace. Although Japan did not formally declare war, President Franklin D. Roosevelt took the attack as Japan declaring war on America. As a precaution, FDR orders the government to place Japanese-Americans in internment camps. Japanese-Americans were stripped of their rights as citizens; they lost their property and were considered traitors to America. The government feared that Japanese-American men would not remain loyal to America, to discern where their loyalty lies they were given a questionnaire. Those who said no to any of the questions were considered a threat to American …show more content…
There was confusion, but, underneath it, a conviction that he loved America and would fight and die for it because he did not wish to live anyplace else. And the father, also confused, understood what the son had said and gave his consent,” (121). The passage from Okada’s No No Boy centers on Kenji’s motive for enlisting in the military. Okada’s structures his passage in passive voice, to explain the action has already been completed and Okada wants the reader to understand why Kenji decides to enlist. The long sentences represent the decision was thought out and he did not rush into the decision he thought it out before he decided to enlist. The long sentences also serve as a purpose to develop tension. Okada’s wishes the reader to understand, the position Kenji is in, he has to choose whether to enlist or not. Enlisting means his alliance is with America, refusing means he will never be considered as anything more than a traitor and will spend the rest of his life proving to America his