However, this idea of “wholeness” by serving in the war is challenged by the character of Kenji, a war veteran who lost his leg in the war. For example, when Kenji and Ichiro are driving, Kenji reveals he got the car for “being a good patient” but “it wasn’t worth it,” (Okada 55). The use of the phrase “it wasn’t worth it” suggests Kenji is referring to his fighting in the war. This is emphasized when he questions if losing his leg in the war made him a “hero” for he states, “They gave me medal too. Ever hear of the Silver Star? … A medal, a car, a pension, even an education. Just for packing a rifle. Is that good?” (Okada 55). Kenji’s seeking for confirmation of whether or not he was a hero from Ichiro suggests Kenji does not believe he is…show more content… As the grandmother arrived in America, she was forced to take off her most “beautiful kimono” for American clothes because she “‘looked like a foreigner,” (Mori 5). The grandmother’s choosing to wear the American clothes instead of her own symbolizes her “denouncement” of her culture in order to assimilate. However, these attempts to assimilate were for naught as she experienced “rocks thrown at the house” and “windows smashed to bits,” illustrating the Grandmother’s alienation from society (Mori 5). Moreover, the grandmother’s only mention of companionship, other than her husband, is with an American wife whom the grandmother “[does] not speak to” and whom she “cannot express [herself],” to (Mori 6). The grandmother’s inability to communicate to her only source of friendship, an American woman, illustrates the growing isolation of the Japanese from American…show more content… This is your world… Sleep and rise early. Tomorrow is coming, children,” (Mori 8). The phrase “big and useful” alludes to the common phrase “big and strong,” but the word “useful” suggests what the children become must be something needed by America. Furthermore, by telling them “Tomorrow is coming” after telling her children “life is harsh at times,” serves as a cautionary phrase rather than an optimistic phrase. The grandmother’s warning to her children highlights her preparing them for a harsh future but simultaneously suggests not to lose hope in
