Obasan

by

Joy Kogawa

Father (Tadashi/Mark Nakane) Character Analysis

Naomi’s father is an intelligent, artistic musician. When the government begins imprisoning Japanese Canadians, Father has to put aside his creative endeavors and focus on preserving his family. His ability to look after his children is hindered, though, by his persistent illness, which develops as the government begins dismantling and displacing Japanese Canadian communities. He leaves Naomi and Stephen in Obasan’s care, and Naomi only sees him again a few times after that, as he spends most of the rest of his life in internment camps and hospitals. Father’s involuntary distance from his family highlights the way racist government policies separate families and undermine people’s health and wellbeing.

Father (Tadashi/Mark Nakane) Quotes in Obasan

The Obasan quotes below are all either spoken by Father (Tadashi/Mark Nakane) or refer to Father (Tadashi/Mark Nakane). For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Race, Identity, and Citizenship Theme Icon
).
Chapter 4 Quotes

“What a beauty,” the RCMP officer said in 1941 when he saw it. He shouted as he sliced back through the wake, “What a beauty! What a beauty!”

That was the last Uncle saw of the boat. And shortly thereafter, Uncle too was taken away, wearing shirt, jacker, and dungarees. He had no provisions, nor did he have any idea where the gunboats were herding him and the other Japanese fishermen in the impounded fishing fleet.

The memories were drowned in a whirlpool of protective silence. Everywhere I could hear the adults whispering, “Kodomo no tame. For the sake of the children…” Calmness was maintained.

Related Characters: Naomi Nakane (speaker), Uncle (Isamu “Sam” Nakane), Father (Tadashi/Mark Nakane)
Page Number: 25-26
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 9 Quotes

The house in which we live is in Marpole, a comfortable residential district of Vancouver. It is more splendid than any house I have lived in since. It does not bear remembering. None of this bears remembering.

“You have to remember,” Aunt Emily said. “You are your history. If you cut any of it off you're an amputee. Don't deny the past. Remember everything. If you’re bitter, be bitter. Cry it out! Scream! Denial is gangrene. […]”

All right, Aunt Emily, all right! The house then––the house, if I must remember it today, was large and beautiful.

Related Characters: Naomi Nakane (speaker), Aunt Emily Kato (speaker), Father (Tadashi/Mark Nakane)
Page Number: 60
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 25 Quotes

“Why can’t we go home, Stephen?”

“Because. That’s why,” Stephen says crossly, and tells me no more. His eyes are like Father’s, searching.

The orders, given to Uncle and Father in 1945, reach me via Aunt Emily's package in 1972, twenty-seven years later.

The delivery service is slow these days. Understanding is even slower. I still do not see the Canadian face of the author of those words.

Related Characters: Naomi Nakane (speaker), Stephen Nakane (speaker), Aunt Emily Kato, Father (Tadashi/Mark Nakane)
Related Symbols: Aunt Emily’s Box of Documents
Page Number: 206
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 26 Quotes

The crowd stands aside, waving steadily, bowing, touching arms here and there, and then they are out of view and I’m clambering up the train steps again as I did three years ago.

We sit in two seats facing each other once more, exactly like the last time. Where is Father? […] Where are we going? Will it be to a city? Remember my doll? Remember Vancouver? The escalators? Electric lights? Streetcars? Will we go home again ever?

Related Characters: Naomi Nakane (speaker), Aunt Emily Kato, Father (Tadashi/Mark Nakane), Mother
Page Number: 216
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 39 Quotes

This body of grief is not fit for human habitation. Let there be flesh. The song of mourning is not a lifelong song.

Father, Mother, my relatives, my ancestors, we have come to the forest tonight, to the place where the colors all meet––red and yellow and blue. We have turned and returned to your arms as you turn to earth and form the forest floor.

Tonight we picked berries with the help of your sighted hands. […] See how our stained fingers have read the seasons, and how our serving hands serve you still.

My loved ones, rest in your world of stone. Around you flows the underground stream.

Related Characters: Naomi Nakane (speaker), Father (Tadashi/Mark Nakane), Mother
Page Number: 294
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire Obasan LitChart as a printable PDF.
Obasan PDF

Father (Tadashi/Mark Nakane) Quotes in Obasan

The Obasan quotes below are all either spoken by Father (Tadashi/Mark Nakane) or refer to Father (Tadashi/Mark Nakane). For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Race, Identity, and Citizenship Theme Icon
).
Chapter 4 Quotes

“What a beauty,” the RCMP officer said in 1941 when he saw it. He shouted as he sliced back through the wake, “What a beauty! What a beauty!”

That was the last Uncle saw of the boat. And shortly thereafter, Uncle too was taken away, wearing shirt, jacker, and dungarees. He had no provisions, nor did he have any idea where the gunboats were herding him and the other Japanese fishermen in the impounded fishing fleet.

The memories were drowned in a whirlpool of protective silence. Everywhere I could hear the adults whispering, “Kodomo no tame. For the sake of the children…” Calmness was maintained.

Related Characters: Naomi Nakane (speaker), Uncle (Isamu “Sam” Nakane), Father (Tadashi/Mark Nakane)
Page Number: 25-26
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 9 Quotes

The house in which we live is in Marpole, a comfortable residential district of Vancouver. It is more splendid than any house I have lived in since. It does not bear remembering. None of this bears remembering.

“You have to remember,” Aunt Emily said. “You are your history. If you cut any of it off you're an amputee. Don't deny the past. Remember everything. If you’re bitter, be bitter. Cry it out! Scream! Denial is gangrene. […]”

All right, Aunt Emily, all right! The house then––the house, if I must remember it today, was large and beautiful.

Related Characters: Naomi Nakane (speaker), Aunt Emily Kato (speaker), Father (Tadashi/Mark Nakane)
Page Number: 60
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 25 Quotes

“Why can’t we go home, Stephen?”

“Because. That’s why,” Stephen says crossly, and tells me no more. His eyes are like Father’s, searching.

The orders, given to Uncle and Father in 1945, reach me via Aunt Emily's package in 1972, twenty-seven years later.

The delivery service is slow these days. Understanding is even slower. I still do not see the Canadian face of the author of those words.

Related Characters: Naomi Nakane (speaker), Stephen Nakane (speaker), Aunt Emily Kato, Father (Tadashi/Mark Nakane)
Related Symbols: Aunt Emily’s Box of Documents
Page Number: 206
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 26 Quotes

The crowd stands aside, waving steadily, bowing, touching arms here and there, and then they are out of view and I’m clambering up the train steps again as I did three years ago.

We sit in two seats facing each other once more, exactly like the last time. Where is Father? […] Where are we going? Will it be to a city? Remember my doll? Remember Vancouver? The escalators? Electric lights? Streetcars? Will we go home again ever?

Related Characters: Naomi Nakane (speaker), Aunt Emily Kato, Father (Tadashi/Mark Nakane), Mother
Page Number: 216
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 39 Quotes

This body of grief is not fit for human habitation. Let there be flesh. The song of mourning is not a lifelong song.

Father, Mother, my relatives, my ancestors, we have come to the forest tonight, to the place where the colors all meet––red and yellow and blue. We have turned and returned to your arms as you turn to earth and form the forest floor.

Tonight we picked berries with the help of your sighted hands. […] See how our stained fingers have read the seasons, and how our serving hands serve you still.

My loved ones, rest in your world of stone. Around you flows the underground stream.

Related Characters: Naomi Nakane (speaker), Father (Tadashi/Mark Nakane), Mother
Page Number: 294
Explanation and Analysis: