When the Emperor was Divine

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When the Emperor was Divine
When the Emperor Was Divine.jpg
The 2003 edition cover
Author Julie Otsuka
Cover artistIris Weinstein
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Genre Historical fiction
Publisher Alfred A. Knopf
Publication date
2002
Pages168
ISBN 978-0-385-72181-3

When the Emperor was Divine is a historical fiction novel written by American author Julie Otsuka about a Japanese American family sent to an internment camp in the Utah desert during World War II. The novel, loosely based on the wartime experiences of Otsuka's mother's family, [1] is written through the perspective of four family members, detailing their eviction from California and their time in camp. It is Otsuka's debut novel, and was published in the United States in 2002 by Alfred A. Knopf.

Historical fiction is a literary genre in which the plot takes place in a setting located in the past. Although the term is commonly used as a synonym for the historical novel, it can also be applied to other types of narrative, including theatre, opera, cinema and television, as well as video games and graphic novels.

Julie Otsuka is an award-winning Japanese American author. Otsuka is known for her historical fiction novels dealing with Japanese Americans. Her books are known for calling attention to the plight of Japanese Americans throughout World War II. She did not live through the Japanese Internment period, but her parents did which gives Otsuka a unique and personal perspective on the matter. When the Emperor was Divine was the first fiction novel where she discusses Japanese internment camps. With a background as a painter, Julie Otsuka's attention to detail and great descriptions give the reader vivid imagery of different situations throughout her novels. She is a recipient of the Albatros Literaturpreis.

World War II 1939–1945 global war

World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. The vast majority of the world's countries—including all the great powers—eventually formed two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. A state of total war emerged, directly involving more than 100 million people from over 30 countries. The major participants threw their entire economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities behind the war effort, blurring the distinction between civilian and military resources. World War II was the deadliest conflict in human history, marked by 50 to 85 million fatalities, most of whom were civilians in the Soviet Union and China. It included massacres, the genocide of the Holocaust, strategic bombing, premeditated death from starvation and disease, and the only use of nuclear weapons in war.

Contents

Character List

Plot

In "When the Emperor was Divine," Author Julie Otsuka gives a fictional retelling of the Japanese American experience during the Internment period of WWII. The story follows a Japanese American family; a father, a mother, a son, and a daughter. The family members remain nameless, thus giving their story a universal quality. The novel is divided into 5 sections, each told from a different family member's perspective. The first chapter, the mother's perspective, follows the family's preparations for leaving for the camp. The second chapter, from the girl's perspective, takes place on the train as the family is transported to their internment location. The third chapter, from the boy's perspective, chronicles the three years the family spends at the internment camp in Topaz, Utah. The fourth chapter, told from the combined perspectives of the boy and girl, tells of the family's return home and their efforts at rebuilding their lives as well as their experience in the post war milieu of anti-Japanese discrimination. The final chapter is a confession, told from the father's perspective and structured as a direct address to the reader.

Reception and awards

The book was met with a generally positive reception. Writing for The New York Times , literary critic Michiko Kakutani stated "though the book is flawed by a bluntly didactic conclusion, the earlier pages testify to the author's lyric gifts and narrative poise". [2] Sylvia Santiago of Herizons magazine described Otsuka's writing style as "scrupulously unsentimental", thus "creating a contrast to the sensitive subject matter". [3] O: The Oprah Magazine said the novel was "a meditation on what it means to be loyal to one's country and to one's self, and on the cost and the necessity of remaining brave and human". [4]

<i>The New York Times</i> Daily broadsheet newspaper based in New York City

The New York Times is an American newspaper based in New York City with worldwide influence and readership. Founded in 1851, the paper has won 127 Pulitzer Prizes, more than any other newspaper. The Times is ranked 17th in the world by circulation and 2nd in the U.S.

Michiko Kakutani American literary critic and writer

Michiko Kakutani is an American literary critic and former chief book critic for The New York Times. Her awards include a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.

<i>Herizons</i>

Herizons is a Canadian feminist magazine published in Winnipeg, Manitoba and distributed to subscribers throughout Canada. Billed as "Canada's answer to Ms. magazine," it is also sold on newsstands.

When the Emperor was Divine won the American Library Association's Alex Award in 2003 and also won an Asian American Literary Award. [5] [6]

The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 57,000 members.

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Internment of Japanese Americans Internment in the United States

The internment of Japanese Americans in the United States during World War II was the forced relocation and incarceration in concentration camps in the western interior of the country of between 110,000 and 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry, most of whom lived on the Pacific coast. Sixty-two percent of the internees were United States citizens. These actions were ordered by President Franklin D. Roosevelt shortly after Imperial Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor.

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References

  1. Niiya, Brian. "When the Emperor Was Divine" Densho Encyclopedia. Retrieved July 1, 2014.
  2. Kakutani, Michiko (September 10, 2002). "Books of the Times; War's Outcasts Dream of Small Pleasures". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. Retrieved June 15, 2012.
  3. Santiago, Sylvia (January 1, 2004). "When the emperor was divine". Herizons Magazine. Retrieved June 15, 2012.(subscription required)
  4. "Family, interrupted: potent, spare, crystalline–Julie Otsuka's new novel, When the Emperor Was Divine, is an exquisite debut". O: The Oprah Magazine. September 1, 2002. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved June 15, 2012.(subscription required)
  5. "2003 Alex Awards". American Library Association. Retrieved June 15, 2012.
  6. "'When the Emperor was Divine'... and When Japanese Americans Were Rounded Up". Asia Society. Retrieved June 15, 2012.

[1]

  1. http://carleecalton.weebly.com/about-the-characters.html