Farewell to Manzanar

             World events, although having such a mass population confliction, can effect and greatly impact even the littlest of individuals. We see in Farewell to Manzanar, that even though World War II was to supposed to have a "greater good" outcome, it effected races, cultures, families and children all on a personal level which had carried with them long after the war. In this book, our main protagonist, Jeanne Wakatsuki, had many conflicted relationships that were altered during and long after the war. We see her interacting with family, with friends, with schoolmates, and with clergy people. And although these relationships are defined and outspoken, I am looking at the more abstract relationships of Jeanne. She had relationships and conflicts with the camp of Manzanar, with her memory of her father, and with her own self. All of these relationships had made her who she is today. In this essay, I am looking at the relationship of Jeanne and the Non-Japanese-Americans.
             In the opening of the book, Jeanne speaks about her happy life in Ocean Park. Ocean Park was predominantly Caucasian neighborhood, where, although Jeanne's family was a minority, Japanese and Caucasians lived in harmony, both on the streets and in schools. Jeanne was accepted and embraced by the children in her neighborhood and classes. When Jeanne entered Kindergarten, she was the only Oriental in her class and she was actually scared of sitting next to other Orientals. She reflects on one of her feelings while sitting in class: "When I had entered Kindergarten two years earlier, I was the only Oriental in the class. They sat me next to a Caucasian girl who happened to have very slanted eyes. I had looked at her and began to scream..." (11) This mirrors her trust and openness to people of other races. She was not biased or prejudiced, nor were the other children in her class. This trust and ability to interact with others created se...

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Farewell to Manzanar. (2000, January 01). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 23:32, September 27, 2026, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/87102.html