The Writing Style of Julie Otsuka

Paper Summary:

This paper analyzes the writing style of Julie Otsuka in her novel, "When the Emperor was Divine". The paper describes Otsuka's unique writing style as one that allows the reader to understand and feel what the characters in the novel are going through and to believe that they represent a real family and that the story being told is true. The paper further relates that Otsuka does this by telling the story in episodes, memories and dreams and by creating both two and three dimensional characters. The paper concludes that Otsuka's novel is very enjoyable to read.

From the Paper:

"As the novel continues the reader as well as the characters finds out that the characters are being sent away to internment camps due to the Pearl Harbor bombing. This of course affects all of the Japanese Americans but Otsuka narrows down the impact to a particular family, which is the woman, her son and her daughter. As well as the father, but he is never directly introduced in the novel or with the family when all this happens. All these characters are three dimensional characters in the novel, meaning the reader feels like they know so much about them to the point where we can put ourselves in their shoes. Of the girl it is said, "She was ten years old and she knew what she liked" (13). This is what is told about the girl, the daughter of the woman, which probably means that she must be a very secure and mature young girl. Then the boy is mentioned, "The first thing he put inside of his suitcase was his baseball glove" (18). This shows that this boy is typical American boy, into sports and simply just living a normal childhood life. As we read all the these things about these characters we begin to understand them and have some sort of connection with them, as in we might find to have something in common with them, or they remind us of ourselves when we were growing up. This is so extraordinary how the author just uses words to make her characters, yet the reader can interpret so many things out if it, to the point where we are connecting with them at a personal level."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Otsuka, Julie. When the Emperor was Divine. New York: Borzoi Books, 2002

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