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Symbolism In Julie Otsuka's When The Emperor Was Divine

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Music is universal, and we all use it for different reasons. It can help you get through a bad day, cheer you up, and it even enhances the mind. What about literature? Usually, when an author refers to a song in literature, the reader doesn’t think too much of it. However, a closer look at the text may change your view. For example, author Julie Otsuka uses this element in her the novel, When the Emperor was Divine. This novel is set during World War II. It is about a Japanese family sent to the internment camps because of the American prejudice towards their people. The author includes a lot of vaguely written details, including the main characters’ names. So, the reader relies on indirect characterization and symbolism to comprehend the story and the characters within it. One example of this symbolism is the musical aspect that the author decides to include, the songs. Through the songs and the context in which they are used, the author establishes the mood, provides the reader with better …show more content…

His voice was sweet… she ate them slowly as she listened to the tenor sing,” (Otsuka, 9). At first glance, the reader would never suspect that the woman is about to kill White Dog. However, a closer look at the background of this song hints at what she is about to do. “La Donna E Mobile” translates to “The Woman is Unstable” in English. Some of the lyrics include, “ Always a loveable, cute face, in tears or smiling, it says lies.” This represents how well the woman takes care of White Dog by feeding him and keeping him healthy, but in reality, it is all just a facade. White Dog “trusted” the woman, yet, she betrays him. This song also represents the betrayal. The instrumental part of the song adds drama and suspense to the mood. It is from an opera, and it goes from highs to lows, dragging on the suspenseful

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In the book “When the Emperor was Divine” by Julie Otsuka the author portrays the girl a positive and caring person, as shown by her actions and thoughts. For example, sometime the boy “… felt a hand on his shoulder and it was his sister telling him it was all a bad dream,” “ Go back to sleep, baby,” “ She’d whisper and he would” (Otsuka 57). The boy shares how the sister’s actions allowed him to feel cared for and comforted in his times of need.

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Not named throughout the novel, the white dog represents the innocent Japanese-Americans post Pearl Harbor. Specifically, it addresses the difficult choices that they had to make. They had to decide what they wanted to do with all of their most prized possessions such as their home, items passed through their families for years, and even their pets. During the scene, the woman introduced as the mother kills the innocent aging pet dog with one hard hit from a shovel.

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A lot of symbolism is used in the book and can completely change the story’s meaning by implying different hidden meanings to the story. To begin with, the dog's name was, “White Dog” (p9-12). The girl’s favorite song on the radio was “Don’t Fence Me In” and “The Dark Stain” at the Joe Lundy’s place, that “would not go away” (pg 5) have a much bigger meaning. The “dark stain” foreshadows that

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Symbolism allows the author to create a story that would otherwise be bland and monotone. Without this dark romantic element, books, short stories, and poems would not have as much meaning nor appealing detail. Symbolism in "The Raven," "The Devil and Tom Walker," and "The Minister's Black Veil," creates layers of meaning and interesting characters. Symbolism has been used for centuries to spice up the literary world. Sometimes it is used in obvious ways, but other time it has to be thoroughly studied to be imperturbably understood.

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