The Buddha in the Attic Character Analysis

The Japanese Women

These young women collectively narrate The Buddha in the Attic (until the final chapter) as they navigate the difficulties of living as picture brides in the United States. Although the novel comes from a first-person… read analysis of The Japanese Women

The Husbands

Working as laborers in plantations and fields across California, the husbands immigrated from Japan before the women in search of a new start overseas. Underpaid and overworked, the husbands are diligent workers valued for their… read analysis of The Husbands

The Japanese American Children

The first of their families to be born in America, the Japanese American children mark the growth of Japanese American society. Living with Japanese immigrant parents and encountering American culture in school and in conversation… read analysis of The Japanese American Children

The White Bosses

The white bosses oversee the plantations and farms that employ the Japanese husbands and, later, their wives. With generalized perceptions of their foreign workers as docile, overly proud, or unreliable drunkards, the white bosses… read analysis of The White Bosses

The White Townsfolk

From harassing their Japanese neighbors with racist insults and dynamite explosions to showing an interest in “exotic” East Asian art, the white townsfolk demonstrate the heightened racist and xenophobic attitudes toward nonwhite individuals in the… read analysis of The White Townsfolk