You can't turn a page in Obasan without coming across death. We see more instances of death in this novel than we see Naomi playing with friends. But because the novel opens with the death of Naomi's Uncle, and death is such a regular feature in the text, it's not really scary. The problem is that the characters don't know how to understand how to process the deaths that they see around them. That's what this whole novel is about.
Questions About Mortality
- Despite all the death that occurs in the novel, we only see one funeral. Do you think Naomi's feelings about death would be different if she was able to go to funerals for each member of her family? Why or why not?
- What is Naomi's understanding of death when she is a child? What is it as an adult? How does it change? Does it change even more by the end of the novel?
- How do the characters in the novel react to death? Are these reactions the type that you would expect, or are they strange?
Chew on This
Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.
According to Obasan, everyone dies so there is no reason to mourn.
In Obasan, the characters are never allowed to grieve their loved ones, so they can never move on.