Bring on the tough stuff - there’s not just one right answer.
- How does Naomi feel about her mom? How do we feel about her? Does the ending of the novel change either of those things? Why or why not?
- Did you notice all of the official documents that pop up in Obasan? Why do you think Kogawa uses these to tell her story? How would it be different if they were not there?
- Kogawa bookends the novel with Uncle Sam's phrase "it looks like the sea." What effect does this repetition have on your understanding of the novel?
- How does time function in Obasan? Is it linear? Nonlinear? How does that affect your understanding of the story? Why do you think it's structured that way?
- There is a conspicuous lack of strong male characters in the novel. Why is that? How would the story be different if characters like Naomi's father and Uncle Sam were as important to the story as Aunt Emily or Obasan?