Theme Of Farewell To Manzanar

Farewell to Manzanar is an autobiography about a Japanese American family who were imprisoned during World War II in an internment camp. Throughout the story, Jeanne Wakatsuki, author and narrator of Farewell to Manzanar, shares her family’s experiences in Manzanar camp. Jeanne Wakatsuki was seven years old when her story began. She had a huge family as well as her father’s successful fishing business in South Beach, California. Heading out to find fish, Jeanne’s father’s boat, The Nereid, stopped and returned back toward the port. In a matter of minutes, families were informed that Pearl Harbor had been bombed by the Japanese. Jeanne’s father became worried and burned all documents that stated he was connected with Japan as well

She now had full responsibility of her children. Having only herself, she decided to move the family from Ocean Park, an area of Caucasians, to Terminal Island, an area of orientals as well as her family, in order to feel safer with others of her own kind. Then, in late February, the Navy decided to clear Terminal Island completely and Jeanne’s family, as well as thousands of others, were given two days to evacuate. They had to limit the amount of things they could bring with them. Therefore, mama was forced to sell her china. Dealers were offering ridiculous prices for such valuable tableware. As a result of this, mama smashes the chinaware realizing that she would rather have precious dishes broken than sold at a cheap price. The American Friends Service was a group of quakers who helped Jeanne’s family find a small house in Boyle Heights. After a short period of time in Boyle Heights, the Wakatsuki family made their last destination to Manzanar. In Manzanar, thousands of families were put into barracks. The barracks were poorly made and had cracks in them. This made it hard for families to sleep because of the constant dust storms each night causing their hair features to turn grey. Despite of the situation, the Wakatsuki