"No-No Boy"

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that "No-No Boy" is a historical, fiction novel by John Okada and is primarily based on the real-life events directly affected by the plight of Japanese-Americans in the immediate aftermath of WWII. It shows how Okada's novel has characters and a plot that are fictional; however, the unveiling truth behind its historical context provides readers with a multidimensional observation over a complexity of issues.

From the Paper:

"Okada's novel delivers a poignant reflection on the relations between Japanese-Americans and white Americans, and focuses especially on the image that Japanese-Americans have of themselves. Okada discovered many complexities behind writing his novel, complexities that could not be explained by Anne Moody or a historian such as Ronald Takaki. The image that Japanese Americans have of themselves challenges issues of free will, which portray even bigger issues of self-hatred and self-perception. Although free will was undoubtedly a major theme in Moody's Coming of Age in Mississippi, it missed the essence of pain and suffering. The world that Okada describes is certainly an ugly one that's full of hostility between and amongst races similar to the one described by Moody; however, one gets a sense that he maintains faith in humanity. This faith empowers the reader to feel the pain endured by Japanese Americans at this time."

More papers on "No-No Boy":

• Book Review # 95647 : "'No-no Boy'"
• Analytical Essay # 50500 : "John Okada's "No-No Boy"
• Book Review # 4105 : "Identity Crisis and "The No-No Boy"
• Comparison Essay # 4937 : "In Snow Falling on Cedars" and "No-No Boy"

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