“Shikata ga nai” are words that has occurred in the minds of many Japanese Canadians, “Shikata ga nai” translates to “nothing can be done or helped”. These proverbs are used to define the silence that has consumed the lives of the Japanese Canadians during the prejudice demands of the government during the internment in 1942. In Joy Kogawa’s harrowing novel Obasan, the Canadian government discriminates harshly against the Japanese Canadians during the internment. The Japanese Canadians do not protest, instead they keep themselves peacefully while living in silence in the interior of Canada. Kogawa highlights the theme of silence, the silence that is kept quiet but becomes beneficial and the unspoken silence that is dangerous. However, Silence in Japanese culture is recognized as a form of communication and not a void in communication. The imagery, symbols and recurring motifs of silence in Obasan, is perceived as
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In the novel, He compares both the imagery of the silent chirps of the birds in the forest and the loud chatter in city, explaining to Naomi that talking is often selfish and inconsiderate, “Birds could all talk once. Bird language. Now all they can say is their own names. That’s all. Can’t say any more than their names. Just like some people. Specially in the city, eh? Me, me, me” (173-174). Rough Lock Bill criticizes himself for talking too much and praises at Naomi’s ability to be silent. He also explains to Naomi that, “smart people don’t talk too much. Redskins know that. The King bird warned them a long time ago” (174). In this passage, Rough Lock Bill explains another benefit of silence. Silence allows the person to listen and observe the surroundings around them that will form a better understanding of the hard to overcome situations and allowing improved communication as
In the novel, He compares both the imagery of the silent chirps of the birds in the forest and the loud chatter in city, explaining to Naomi that talking is often selfish and inconsiderate, “Birds could all talk once. Bird language. Now all they can say is their own names. That’s all. Can’t say any more than their names. Just like some people. Specially in the city, eh? Me, me, me” (173-174). Rough Lock Bill criticizes himself for talking too much and praises at Naomi’s ability to be silent. He also explains to Naomi that, “smart people don’t talk too much. Redskins know that. The King bird warned them a long time ago” (174). In this passage, Rough Lock Bill explains another benefit of silence. Silence allows the person to listen and observe the surroundings around them that will form a better understanding of the hard to overcome situations and allowing improved communication as