The Buddha in the Attic: Analysis of Major Characters
"The Buddha in the Attic" explores the lives of Japanese picture brides who immigrated to California in 1919 to marry men they only knew through photographs and letters. This collective portrayal highlights the shared experiences of these women, who range in age from twelve to thirty-seven and are tasked with the demanding roles of obedient wives and laborers. They often face hardship, mistreatment, and even sexual exploitation, yet exhibit resilience throughout their struggles. Key characters, including Haruko, who brings a brass Buddha statue as a symbol of her past, and Yoshiko, who tragically dies due to her inexperience with farm labor, illustrate the diverse challenges faced by these brides. The men they marry, often older and less attractive than they appear in pictures, enforce traditional gender roles, further alienating their wives. The narrative also touches on the lives of their children, who grapple with their Japanese heritage while trying to assimilate into American culture. Ultimately, the story delves into themes of identity, resilience, and the impact of societal prejudices, particularly in the context of the Japanese American experience during World War II.
The Buddha in the Attic: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Julie Otsuka
First published: 2011
Genre: Novel
Locale: Pacific Ocean between Japan and California; San Francisco; rural and urban California
Plot: Historical fiction
Time: 1919–43
Japanese picture brides, Japanese women who immigrate to California in 1919 to marry Japanese men, whom they know only from pictures and letters. This group of women is presented as one collective character. The typically brief snippets given about the experiences of any particular character serve only as examples for the range of the group's general fate. All of the picture brides are small in size and vary in age from twelve to thirty-seven years old. They have been educated to serve their husbands obediently, speak little and in a high-pitched voice, walk with small steps, and show a meek demeanor. Most are virgins when they arrive. They work hard for their husbands and generally work menial jobs on California's farms or as domestic servants. They are often mistreated and sometimes sexually exploited. Throughout their many years of physical and psychological hardship, the Japanese picture brides prove generally resilient. They suffer but survive, even as they feel alienated by their children, American citizens by birth who adopt mainstream American habits. Soon after Japan attacks the United States at Pearl Harbor in 1941, all the Japanese women and their families are sent to remote camps throughout United States.
Haruko, a Japanese picture bride. She brings a tiny brass Buddha statue from Japan to the United States. When she is ousted from her home in 1942, she places the brass Buddha in her attic before leaving.
Yoshiko, a Japanese picture bride. A young woman from the city of Kobe, she is extremely unfamiliar with farm labor. She dies of heatstroke and dehydration after her first day of farm work in California, too polite and shy to ask for water.
Akiko, a Japanese picture bride. Educated at a Christian mission school in Tokyo, she reads to her husband from the Bible every night. She sings Christian songs during the long hours of farm work.
Asayo, considered the prettiest of the Japanese picture brides. Forced to relocate in 1942, she takes along the same rattan suitcase she brought to California in 1919.
Sumiko, a Japanese picture bride. Disappointed by her Japanese husband, she works in a brothel. A Caucasian, Mr. Howell, buys her freedom and marries her. When he refuses to accompany her to the relocation camp or to protect her, she divorces him and goes alone.
Chizuko, a Japanese picture bride. In 1942, her husband is arrested. The authorities do not inform Chizuko about his fate.
Japanese husbands in California, who immigrated to the United States before World War I and seek Japanese brides to start families. They are generally much older and worse looking than they appear in the photos they send to their prospective brides, and they are poorer than their letters indicate. Presented as a collective character they provide the male counterpart to the Japanese picture brides. They alienate nearly all of their new brides because of their sexual urgency on the first night together. They treat their wives with culturally bred chauvinism and demand that they work hard and be both obedient and submissive. They are mistreated themselves by European Americans.
Japanese American children, ethnically Japanese though American citizens, the offspring of the Japanese picture brides and their Japanese immigrant husbands. The first of them are born in 1920. As children, they often labor alongside their parents, particularly in rural California. Most are good students. As they grow up, they try to assimilate into mainstream American culture. Many reject their given Japanese first names in favor of English ones. They dream of becoming successful in the United States, but even they are relocated.
European Americans in California, who are generally employers or customers of Japanese immigrants. They exploit Japanese immigrants, demanding hard labor for low wages. They also employ Japanese immigrants as domestic servants. Some European American men prey on Japanese immigrant women. After Japan attacks the United States, European Americans in California support the deportation of both the Japanese and Japanese Americans from their communities. Eventually, they are slightly ashamed about the deportations, and by 1943, many believe the Japanese will never come back to live with them.
Charles, a British professor of foreign languages in Japan, passenger on the ship bringing Japanese picture brides to San Francisco in 1919. He wears glasses and has green eyes, a pointy nose, and dark brown hair on his arms and chest. He and his Japanese wife have one child. He is the first Caucasian many of the Japanese picture brides meet. Speaking perfect Japanese, he kindly answers their many questions about European Americans, life in the United States, and American culture.