A Good Man Is Hard To Find: Creative Writing Assignment

“…the grandmother had on a navy blue straw sailor hat with a bunch of white violets on the brim ad a navy blue dress with a small white dot in the print. Her collars and cuffs were white organdy trimmed with lace and at her neckline she had pinned a purple spray of cloth violets containing a sachet. In case of an accident, anyone seeing her dead on the highway would know at once that she was a lady.”

The burning sun beat down on the brown grass. The girl climbed the towering tree, clinging to nooks and crannies in the rough trunk. The mother stormed outside, yelling for the daughter to come down, in the most lady-like way one could manage. How could she even consider about doing such a humiliating activity? This was life of a boy, not a thirteen year-old girl. She was almost a lady now. She must learn elegance and grace, sophistication and poise.

            The letter came in the mail the 5 years later. She was to go to university, and become a writer. Yet every day she ran through the vast fields, relishing the feeling of elation and freedom. She wanted to be an agricultural worker, so every moment would be spent outside with the swaying grasses surrounding her, and blue sky above her.  But the work was menial, that was what she was told. She was worth more than that. No, she would go to university. The girl said no, no all she wanted was to be outside. The next day her father died. Overwhelmed with grief, the mother blamed her daughter, insisting it was all her fault. And so the girl made a promise, that she would always, always be a lady. Till the day she died.

            That was 60 years ago.

The Hurricane: Film Analysis

Film Analysis Assignment: The Hurricane

1.      Injustice destroys lives. The Hurricane tells the story of a man’s unfair conviction and sentence, after a troubled youth. His life is changed forever when an African-American boy (Lesra) and his Canadian foster family dedicate themselves to his exculpation. This motif is significant because it consistently recurrent for the duration of the film. It is also very closely related to the theme of this film: The unfair accusation of “black” people(s) due to a racist attitude and the response to this is a common theme running through both the film and the novel (question 4).

2.     Boxing is a symbol of hatred. Rubin Carter states in jail that he had decided to “turn his body into a hate machine.” His anger at “white” people causes him to become a boxer to vent his anger. The jail is symbolic of man’s discrimination against “blacks”. This movie focuses on unequal treatment across the “colour line.” Rubin “Hurricane” Carter is unjustly put in jail multiple times throughout his life, based on his skin colour.

3.      The attorney and Canadian family in The Hurricane can be likened to Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird. Both are “white” people(s) who commit themselves to an unjust “black” case, to expose the truth. The arrest, interrogation and court proceedings were moving and emotional in both accounts, successfully portraying the different attitudes of “white” men to “black” men. In To Kill a Mockingbird Atticus Finch’s cool demeanor and focused attitude allow him to concentrate on Tom Robinson and his case. At the same time, Bob Ewell’s cold demeanor and cruel attitude result in his accusation of Tom. In The Hurricane, Lesra and his family’s passion and love for Rubin Carter give them motivation to search for evidence. The attorney’s cautious and heeding, yet respectful attitude towards Rubin helps him prioritize and win his client’s case. Simultaneously, the opposing council’s prejudice against “black” peoples and their hatred of Rubin give them incentive to “bury him.”

4.     The unfair accusation of “black” people(s) due to a racist attitude and the response to this is a common theme running through both the film and the novel.  In To Kill a Mockingbird Tom Robinson is wrongly accused of raping Mayella Ewell because of his skin colour. Atticus Finch, a white man, devotes himself to the exoneration of Tom Robinson. In The Hurricane Rubin “Hurricane” Carter is also unjustly accused of a triple murder. A Canadian family and their adopted African-American son pledge themselves to the case of Carter, not resting until he is set free. Both accounts indicate the consequences of warped justice system due to racism. In To Kill a Mockingbird Tom Robinson tragically dies at the end, trying to escape from prison after the jury declined to exculpate him. In The Hurricane Rubin Carter spent more than half his life in a jail. 

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Mono ieba kuchibiru samushi aki no kaze. In an English translation of this Japanese proverb: It is better to leave many things unsaid. Silence is a vital part of Japanese culture. Most Japanese feel more comfortable and at ease when there is less talk and more pauses in a colloquy. They tend to avoid eye contact and indicate attention with a mere nod. In contrast, most North Americans become unnerved with long periods of silence, and are taught to keep eye contact when speaking with others. In Obasan, Naomi is torn between the two cultures she lives in. Her aunt Obasan strictly abides with the “rules” of Japanese culture, never bringing up the past. However, Naomi’s need to speak about the past grapples with her loyalty to her family and culture, as shown on page 267: “Gentle Mother, we were lost together in our silences.”

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Naomi shows that she cares deeply for and loves both aunts abundantly. The tension built around Aunt Emily and Obasan yanks Naomi into a tug of war between them. Her struggle to comprehend her past, and the value of remembering or forgetting are propelled by the magnetic pull of each Aunt. Obasan’s refusal to speak about the past diminishes Naomi’s ability to accept the events which shaped her life. This is illustrated as Naomi describes her aunt: “Over the years, silence within her small body has grown large and powerful.” (Kogawa 14) Simultaneously, Aunt Emily is depicted as extremely outspoken and energetic. “We have to deal with all this while we remember it.” (Kogawa 38) Aunt Emily demonstrates strength by protesting the rights of the Japanese people, as shown on page 37: “There’s no strength in seeing all sides unless you can act where real measurable injustice exists.” Meanwhile, Obasan draws strength from inside, as she willingly looks after Naomi and Stephen without objection, continuing to keep her emotions hidden away.

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“There is a silence that cannot speak. There is a silence that will not speak.” (Kogawa Prologue).  Silence is a foundation of the novel Obasan, shielding characters from their own emotions.The silence is both physical and emotional.  Naomi hides from her past by repressing the feelings and memories she has within herself. Her emotions appear to be opaque to both the reader and herself. Her silence originates from her childhood trauma, as well as encouragement from relatives to remain quiet. She struggles to accept the events which shaped and destroyed her life. Naomi seems torn between her interest in the past and her idea that remembering the past will harm her. She slowly comes to terms with the past, gradually revealing what happened.

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Aunt Emily is the lively spark that turns the small flame into a burning fire. She is the voice, while the others are the silence, insisting that “We have to deal with all this while we remember it. If we don’t we’ll pass our anger down in our genes. It’s the children who’ll suffer,” (Kogawa 38) She is completely at ease discussing and remembering the past, always protesting the cruelty of the treatment they endured. She can be blunt at times, sometimes having a difficult time realizing the challenge it is for her family to recall the past. However, it is clear she loves her family and is constantly trying to get them to stand up for themselves.

Obasan Chapters 1-13: Character Sketch

Character Sketch: Aunt Emily

Opinions, Actions and Motives
- Energetic
- Strong-willed
- Comfortable voicing opinion → “Talking to Aunt Emily was quite like a minefield, I never knew when she would explode” (Kogawa 36)
- "Wherever the words "Japanese race" appeared, Aunt Emily had crossed them out and written "Canadian citizen"." (Kogawa 34)
- Wants to accept and understand past → contrast to Naomi and Obasan
- “She’s one of the world’s white blood cells, rushing from trouble spot to trouble spot” (Kogawa 35)
- “For her, injustice done to us in the past was still a live issue” (Kogawa 35)