Mother Daughter Relationship In Obasan

In Joy Kogawa’s novel Obasan, the reader follows a young woman named Naomi on a search for answers to questions she has had trouble facing throughout her life. Specifically regarding the disappearance of her mother when she was a child. In Obasan the mother-daughter relationship being portrayed is fractured because of Naomi’s mother abrupt departure with no explanation, leaving Naomi constantly searching to fill the void of a protective mother figure.
Growing up Naomi’s mother played a very important role in her life as a protector, teacher and caregiver. Once her mother left a void was created in Naomi’s life, that would remain there into adulthood. Although her aunt would provide for her after her mother left, she did not have the same tenderness as her mother. Her mother’s ability to show affection …show more content…
Although Naomi was a emotionless child, she was caught crying and beating up the doll her mother had left her one night. Children tend to act out exactly how they are feeling because they have not developed how to hide emotions like an adult can. Showing the inner turmoil she was struggling to deal with in relation to her mother’s absence in that moment. In addition to her actions Naomi’s dreams were reflective of similar feelings searching for answers and ways to cope. Dreams are controlled by one's subconscious and often bring to light issues that while conscious a person chooses not to face. This is why Naomi’s childhood dreams are evident of how badly she missed her mother’s presence. In her dreams her “mother is on one side of the rift” (58), Naomi “on the other” (58) but they “cannot reach each other” (58). A duality between the dreams action of the two of them being separated by a piece of land and the reality of the mother-daughter duo can be drawn. With each day apart they slowly are pulled further apart by a force Naomi can not