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Chapter 23
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Obasan, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Race, Identity, and Citizenship
History and Memory
Speech vs. Silence
Selflessness and Decorum
Summary
Analysis
In the autumn of 1945, Naomi wakes with the sense that something significant is taking place. The previous day, Stephen ran home shouting that the war was over and “we won”; he was so excited that he climbed the roof and installed a flagpole with a Union Jack. This morning, on the other hand, is quiet. Stephen is asleep, and Obasan is making tea––however, Naomi notices that Obasan is moving faster than usual.
Stephen’s disdain for his Japanese heritage goes hand in hand with his love for Canada. Though Canada has stripped him of his citizenship, he is still unfailingly loyal and patriotic, counting himself among the “we” who have won the war. Naomi doesn’t resent Canada, but she doesn’t share her brother’s love for the country, so her sense that something important is happening speaks to a more personal impending life event.
Themes
When she gets up, Naomi sees that someone is in Nomura-obasan’s cot. She goes to see if the old woman has come back, and instead finds Father in the cot. Naomi throws herself into her father’s arms and finally feels safe. Stephen wakes up and joins the hug. Father begins to play “The White Cliffs of Dover” on one of Stephen’s flutes, and Stephen joins him on another flute. The two continue to play song after song, and Stephen seems genuinely happy for the first time in a long time.
Naomi and Stephen experience a rare moment of joy as her fractured family comes together. “The White Cliffs of Dover” is a British World War II song, and Father and Stephen playing it together suggests that Father, like Stephen, remains loyal to Canada and the British Commonwealth.
Themes
