English & Literature
On pages 45-68 of “They Called Us Enemy" by George Takei summarize the story in this chunk. What happened? Describe the setting and place/time
Be descriptive
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Be descriptive
In this section of the novel, George considers how his own experience of this period in his life was drastically different from that of his parents and the other adults. Both Takekuma and Fumiko Takei made sure that their children remained calm and happy throughout the journey, despite the fact that they themselves were terrified and unsure of what would happen next. Takekuma told George they were going on vacation, while Fumiko had filled her bag with toys and treats for the boys. As George notes in retrospect, there was a limit placed on how much luggage they could bring, and their mother surely left many of her own possessions behind in order to leave space in her bag for the things that would keep her children occupied. She even brought canteens of water for her family to drink, as it was impossible to know if there would be clean water wherever they were being taken, and when the family arrived at the camp, she set about making curtains and rugs for their cabin. Fumiko's primary concern at all times is taking care of her family's needs and making sure they are as comfortable as possible, even under these dark and unpredictable circumstances.
George characterizes his father as a cool, confident man who easily won the support and trust of the other detainees, though he tries to imagine how terrifying it must have been for Takekuma in the days of internment as he put on a brave face for his family. “Through my child's eyes, Daddy always seemed in command of any given situation” (44). George explains in text beneath a drawing of himself as a child beaming happily, without a care in the world. However, he knows that in reality, “It was my father who bore the brunt of the pain, the anguish” (45). Nevertheless, Takekuma still upheld that American democracy was the greatest system in the world, despite the United States government's “terrible mistake” (45) of internment during World War II.
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