Farewell to Manzanar: Chapters 1-11

What analogy does Mr. Wakatsuki use to describe the difficulty he has in siding with either America or Japan?

"When your mother and your father are having a fight, do you want them to kill each other? Or do you just want them to stop fighting?"

According to Jeanne what snipped off the climax of their life in Ocean Park? Why?

...

How many people were at the camp?

10,000

Why did the riot about sugar and the chefs begin?

Accusing of a white chef steward of selling food from the camps warehouses on the black market.

Why did Papa go to the meeting?

Argue about the oath for allegience to the United States.

Why does Mr.Wakatsuki think it is bad to have military leaders?

As long as military men control the country you are always going to have a war.

Describe the episode in this chapter that tells us Papa loved having an audience.

At their silver wedding anniversary, when Papa announced it was time to cut the pig, he did it in an extravagant way. He took a gigantic butchers cleaver and cut off the pigs head. He then proceeded to say to the boys: "Cut it up. You girls, bring the platters here. Everybody wants to eat."

What job did Woody take when he got to the camp?

Carpenter

What did the War department provide?

Clothing, most of which is too large for the Japanese.

Why was there a meeting in the mess hall?

Discuss the loyalty oath and the no no vote.

What kind of hat was Papa wearing when he stepped off the bus?

Fedora Hat

What is Kaz's job?

Foreman of a Reservoir maintenance crew

What was Granny unable to do in chapter 5?

Granny is too weak to go to the mess hall

Why did the women at the bathroom call Papa an inu?

He had been interrogated by the FBI and they believed that he had revealed some sort of info to them that might cause America to win the war

Why did Wakatsuki Ko leave the Japanese military?

He left the army because he was tired of the marching and wanted a real job.

Why did his father disagree? Explain.

He thought his son would be killed in the war.

Who did Woody try to act like? Why?

He tried to act like his father because there was no one left to make decisions.

Why did Papa burn the flag from Hiroshima and papers after Pearl Harbor?

He wanted to burn any evidence that he was from Japan.

Why was Fred Tayama badly beaten by six men and taken to the camp hospital for treatment?

He was the leader of the Japanese-American citizens league.

Why did Papa refer to himself as Skipper?

He wore a hat and he was the captain of the boat.

If the Japanese answered "no no" on the oath test, where could they be sent?

If you say NO NO you will be shipped back to Japan in disgrace.

Describe the many careers that Papa tried?

In Idaho, he worked as a valet, a cook, a chauffeur, a mechanic, and a general handyman.

What does Shikata ga nai mean?

It means "It cannot be helped" or "It must be done." It is something that must be endured.

Why was Jeanne terrified moving to Terminal Island?

It was the first time she was among people of Japanese descent and she visited a new place.

How does Jeanne characterize her father?

Jeanne said, "He was not a great man. He wasn't even a very successful man. He was a poser, a braggart, and a tyrant."

Who made a game out of seeing how many mess halls he could hit in one meal period?

Jeanne's younger brothers (Ray and Kiyo)

What did Papa threaten to do?

Kill Mama

What did Kiyo do at the end of the chapter and why?

Kiyo punched papa in the face to stop him from hurting or killing mama.

What did the Japanese mean when they used the term "Inu"?

Literally translated, "inu" means "dog." But in this situation, it meant "collaborator or informer."

Describe Mama's personality.

Mama is a very strong character, with an untamed, defiant spirit.

How did Mama say they were living like?

Mama said they were living like animals. They were all crowded into a small barrack with dust flying in during the night making the beds and them covered in dust. The barracks were also cold and in order to be warm, they had to pile their clothes on top of them.

What was Papa accused of when taken into custody?

Papa was accused of delivering oil to Japanese submarines offshore.

What do the many jobs that Papa had say about him?

Papa was discontent with any job he took up, no matter what it was.

What did Papa do for most of the day?

Papa would drink alcohol and as a result get drunk leading him to hurt Mama.

Why did pride matter so much to Papa?

Pride mattered so much to Papa because he had lost so much of it in his own country, apparently due to his own family's failings. He wanted, needed to hold on to every scrap of it he could muster.

What task did Woody ask Ray and Kiyo to perform?

Ray and Kiyo had to nail down can lids on holes.

What problems did Jeanne's family face in their living quarters?

Sand and dust would get into the cracks, there was no privacy, and it was cold.

How did Jeanne react to seeing him and why was her behavior abnormal?

She runs to him, hugs his legs, and begins to cry. Her behavior was abnormal because he and the family look at each other in silence, and only Jeanne has the courage to approach him

Why did Mama throw the expensive plates on the ground?

She was angry and frustrated that the man was trying to buy it for much less than it was worth for.

Why was she so excited to move to a different place other than Los Angeles County?

She was excited because she had never traveled more than ten miles away from her house.

Explain the December Riot.

Stress and anxiety in the camp reaches a boiling point. Men feel helpless and angry. On December 5, 1942, a group of men attacks Fred Tayama, a leader of the Japanese American Citizens League.

What did the Japanese 17 years old and up have to fill out in the prison camps?

The "Loyalty Oath:" questions asking if you would be willing to serve in the Armed Forces and if you "swear unqualified allegiance to the United States of America."

What happened at Pearl Harbor and what did it mean to the Japanese and Japanese Americans?

The Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. To the Japanese and the Japanese Americans it meant that they had to be more aware of what was going on between the Japanese and Americans. This can be shown when Papa to burn the flag of his home in Hiroshima, Japan to get rid of any detail that showed he was also Japanese.

Who is in charge of all of the camps?

The War Deparment

What was the atmosphere when she arrived at the camp?

The atmosphere to Jeanne was happier since she was a kid, but to other's it was filled with dismay. People were taken away from their homes and this made everyone feel like they were worth less than who they really were.

When the MPs came to invade the shack, why didn't the reservoir crew stick up for themselves or fight back?

The reservoir crew didn't stick up for themselves because they were not the rioters and they had nothing to fear. They also did not want to be known as evil to the Americans.

What were the conditions of getting shots and what happened because of it?

The typhoid shots caused the little kids to become ill due to the high doses and the cursory conditions. Jeanne got diarrhea and stomach cramps.

Why did the MPs invade the reservoir shack?

They are a group of saboteurs

Why didn't the men who came from Fort Lincoln ever discuss the issues that occurred there?

They never said much because "the charge of disloyalty."

What were the reasons the bells rang?

They rang for higher wages, they rang for better food, they rang for open revolt, for patriotism, for common sense, and for whole sale return to Japan.

What was wrong with the way the FBI treated the Japanese?

They were treated badly, false accusations.

What were the pickax handles used for?

To protect themselves if the rioters discover they are cooperating with the administration.

Where was he held and for what reason was he detained?

Wakatsuki Ko was held at Fort Lincoln. He was detained because he was interrogated by the FBI to see if he had any connections with Japan.

What did Woody do that defies his father's wishes?

Woody defied his father's wishes by writing "YES YES" on the "Loyalty Oath" which enrolled him in the war.

What character traits does Woody show in this section?

Woody showed responsibility, optimism, and humor.

How was Woody's promise to Mama fulfilled?

Woody's promise to "make it better", is fulfilled not only by fixing the original block they had lived in, which they did using tin lids and a hammer plus some nails to seal the cracks in the walls. But also by moving to a better block later in the book.