Farewell to Manzanar
Webinar
Team Talk: Section 1
Chapter 1: How old is the author at the beginning of this memoir? How might her age influence the story she’s about to tell? Does her age make her more or less reliable as a narrator? Explain your answer.
Chapter 2: Explain what happens with Mama’s china dishes. What does this incident show us about Mama? Symbolically, what might the dishes represent?
Chapter 3:
1. With Papa gone, who becomes the leader in the family? Does this person do a good job of getting the family settled? What makes you think this?
Chapter 4
As the family settles into the new life in Manzanar, there are plenty of challenges. For each of the four items below, list one specific problem the Wakatsuki family faces and how the problem is solved. So, yes, I want two sentences for each of the following:
• Housing
• Clothing
• Latrines
• Privacy
Chapter 5
1. How long was Papa away from the family? Physically, how has he changed? How might this symbolically connect to his emotional state?
2. Mama begins working as a dietician, helping the cooks develop menus for residents with special dietary needs/restrictions. For this work, she earns $19 a month. Given that $1 in 1941 would be worth about $16 today, what’s the monthly amount of Mama’s pay in today’s dollars. Does this seem like a fair wage? Explain your thinking.
Chapter 6
Although many of Papa's business plans failed, Jeanne still viewed her father before the war as a succesfful man. In what way was he successful? How did his time at Fort Lincoln change him?
Chapter 7:
1. Explain the analogy Papa uses at the end of the chapter to describe his feelings of torn allegiance. Is this an apt description? Why or why not? (venn diagram)
Chapter 8:
1. How can Kiyo’s apology to Papa be seen as heroic?
Chapter 9:
The arrest of a young Japanese-American cook was the most immediate cause that led to the December Riot, but there were many other tensions brewing that also contributed to the climate of anger and frustration. List at least three of the numerous reasons that contributed to the riots. (T chart note taking)
Chapter 10:
Think about the American justice system’s belief that people are innocent until proven guilty and explain how the treatment of the reservoir crewmen is unjust.
Chapter 11:
Mike Masaoka, one of the J.A.C.L. leaders, knew the best way to win back Americans’ trust about the loyalty of Japanese-Americans to the U.S. What was his idea? Why was the team such a successful unit? In what way does this
prove Papa was right about his philosophy on Japanese soldiers?
Chapter 12:
In what ways did Manzanar have the semblance of a normal world? (notes only)
Chapter 13:
In what way does the aging ballet dancer provide a warning for Jeanne and the other residents of Manzanar? In what way does she provide a warning for modern readers, too?
Chapter 14-15:
What is the double-heartbreak that Eleanor, Jeanne’s eldest sister, must face?
Chapter 16:
The author tells us that “gossip tends to thrive on bad news, not good.” Do you think this is true? Explain your answer and feel free to give evidence from the things you’ve noticed in your own life.
Chapter 17:
What happened on August 6, 1945? How did Papa react to the event? Why?
Chapter 18:
Eight months after the bombing that ended the war, Woody visits his father's homeland of Hiroshia. Why is Woody in Japan? What conflict does this create for Woody?
Chapter 19:
Jeanne and her family feared that they would be the victims of violence when they returned to California. What happened to them when they arrived?
Chapter 20:
How did Jeanne respond to the prejudice she faced? As an adult looking back at that time, is Jeanne proud of her response?
1. How can Kiyo’s apology to Papa be seen as heroic?
Chapter 9:
The arrest of a young Japanese-American cook was the most immediate cause that led to the December Riot, but there were many other tensions brewing that also contributed to the climate of anger and frustration. List at least three of the numerous reasons that contributed to the riots. (T chart note taking)
Chapter 10:
Think about the American justice system’s belief that people are innocent until proven guilty and explain how the treatment of the reservoir crewmen is unjust.
Chapter 11:
Mike Masaoka, one of the J.A.C.L. leaders, knew the best way to win back Americans’ trust about the loyalty of Japanese-Americans to the U.S. What was his idea? Why was the team such a successful unit? In what way does this
prove Papa was right about his philosophy on Japanese soldiers?
Chapter 12:
In what ways did Manzanar have the semblance of a normal world? (notes only)
Chapter 13:
In what way does the aging ballet dancer provide a warning for Jeanne and the other residents of Manzanar? In what way does she provide a warning for modern readers, too?
Chapter 14-15:
What is the double-heartbreak that Eleanor, Jeanne’s eldest sister, must face?
Chapter 16:
The author tells us that “gossip tends to thrive on bad news, not good.” Do you think this is true? Explain your answer and feel free to give evidence from the things you’ve noticed in your own life.
Chapter 17:
What happened on August 6, 1945? How did Papa react to the event? Why?
Chapter 18:
Eight months after the bombing that ended the war, Woody visits his father's homeland of Hiroshia. Why is Woody in Japan? What conflict does this create for Woody?
Chapter 19:
Jeanne and her family feared that they would be the victims of violence when they returned to California. What happened to them when they arrived?
Chapter 20:
How did Jeanne respond to the prejudice she faced? As an adult looking back at that time, is Jeanne proud of her response?