Joy Kogawa's "Obasan"

Paper Summary:

This paper shows how Kogawa uses a finely balanced set of techniques in the journal/diary form to write "Obasan". The writer is a big fan of the writer and her writing style and points out a number of reasons why she used these techniques to deliver the dramatic effect. The paper includes a few comparisons to other diary-style literary pieces including "The Diary of Adrian Mole" and others.

From the Paper:

"Perhaps the most obvious structural aspect of Kogawa's use of the journal/diary form in Obasan is her manipulation of time. In a method similar to that employed by Michael Ondaatje in The English Patient, Kogawa tells the story from the point of view of a tortured adult in the present viewing defining moments in his or her past through vivid flashbacks. In contrast to Ondaatje, Kogawa's flashbacks extend right through to early childhood and are expressed both innocently (from the child's point of view) as well as analytically (from the adult Naomi's point of view)."

More papers on Joy Kogawa's "Obasan":

• Analytical Essay # 40370 : "Obasan"
• Analytical Essay # 31935 : "Obasan"
• Analytical Essay # 34810 : "Obasan"

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