Obasan Chapter 16 Summary

  • Fast-forward twenty years. The whole family is taking a road trip through the interior of British Columbia. They drive through the same ghost towns that they had once lived in, and realize that there's no evidence that they had ever lived there. Every trace of their existence had been erased.
  • Back in Slocan 1942, everyone is getting off the train. An old man helps the family with their luggage, unloading luggage from the cargo. They meet Nakayama-sensei at the station and it's nice to see a familiar face. He promises to lead them to their new home. On the way there, they cross a large bridge. That's when Naomi realizes that she's forgotten her doll. The old man promises to find it for her.
  • Stephen has already run ahead, and when Naomi runs to join him he shows her their new home. It looks more like a hovel. When the adults enter the house, it's clear that this isn't what they expected but they try to keep it together for the sake of the children.
  • The adults start praying, so Stephen and Naomi go back outside. There are a bunch of brown winged butterflies in the grass. Stephen kills all of them, whacking them with his crutches. It's a pretty shocking scene. He explains why he kills them; they're moths. Or at least he thinks so.