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Chapter 2: Tokyo, 1934
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in After Darkness, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
The Dangers of Nationalism
Isolation and Trauma
Kindness, Compassion, and Selflessness
Racism, Xenophobia, and Division
Guilt and Atonement
Summary
Analysis
One morning at Loveday, Dr. Ibaraki and his tentmates are performing breakfast duty. Johnny Chang approaches him and invites him to play cards in his tent sometime. Johnny tells Dr. Ibaraki that the men in Johnny’s tent have to do an unfair amount of chores because they are not like the other men—they are not fully Japanese, having been born in Australia. Johnny also tells him that the camp is run like a dictatorship, with Mayor Mori and Mr. Yamada making unfair rules that only suit themselves.
As Dr. Ibaraki finishes his evening shift for the day, he looks forward to seeing the play that the entertainment committee of the camp is staging. He arrives at the mess hall for the show and sees the men celebrating. He learns that Japan has just bombed the Australian army in Broome, destroying their aircraft. He worries about his friends back in Broome, hoping that they evacuated before the attack. He remembers the bustling streets of Broome’s Japanese neighborhood, now abandoned. However, out of loyalty to his country, Dr. Ibaraki must hide his pain and fear.
The play that the entertainment committee stages demonstrates the internees’ commitment to improving their lives within the camp. On another note, Ibaraki’s complex feelings about the Japanese bombing of Broome reminds the reader of the complexities that nationalism imposes on people during wartime. Though Ibaraki has legitimate worries about people he cares about, the nationalism that has caused these attacks prevents him from showing his true feelings.
Themes
