Aunt Emily
Opinions:
- Strong-willed
- Outspoken
- Motivated
- "Wherever the words "Japanese race" appeared, Aunt Emily had crossed them out and written "Canadian citizen"." (page 34)
- "What this country did to us, it did to itself." (page 35)
- "A lot of academic talk just immobilizes the oppressed and maintains oppressors in their positions of power." (page 37)
- "Like that there can be no marriage." (page 37) -Uncle says to Naomi while referring to Aunt Emily.
Actions:
- Attends many conferences and voices her opinions.
- "Even before the supper dishes were cleared away, Aunt Emily was shuffling and sorting documents and conference papers on the kitchen table." (page 37)
- "I could see that we were in for an evening of marathon talking, whether anyone else felt up to it or not." (page 37)
Motives:
- "Injustice enrages Aunt Emily." (page 35)
- "The past is the future." (page 45)
Aunt Emily is quite the bold character in the novel Obasan. She portrays a woman with very strong opinions and is never afraid to speak her mind. Although she is loved by her family, they often find her to be very overwhelming. An example of this is when Naomi says, "I could see that we were in for an evening of marathon talking, whether anyone else felt up to it or not." In this quote, Naomi expresses how all of Aunt Emily's energy can be very tiring and annoying at times. Uncle also says, "like that there can be no marriage" when referring to Emily. He means that she is not the usual woman that would likely get married because of her large mouth. Aunt Emily is a very distinct character with very distinct opinions and views. She will likely continue to be an engaging and compelling character.
Part of what makes Aunt Emily unique, is her perspective on various issues. She views the world as a very different place in comparison to other characters such as Naomi and Obasan. For example, while Naomi believes everyone should move on from the past to build a better future, Aunt Emily believes that, "the past is the future", which goes hand in hand with her view that "what this country [Canada] did to us, it did to itself." With that being said, it is likely that that is the reason why Aunt Emily feels she must educate Naomi on issues that have involved the injustice towards the Japanese. Aunt Emily is also a character who in enraged with injustice. She believes that what the government did to the Japanese in the past was awful. Even so, she sees herself as a "Canadian citizen". This idea is supported through quotes such as, "wherever the words "Japanese race" appeared, Aunt Emily had crossed them out and written "Canadian citizen"," and "what this country did to us, it did to itself."
Part of what makes Aunt Emily unique, is her perspective on various issues. She views the world as a very different place in comparison to other characters such as Naomi and Obasan. For example, while Naomi believes everyone should move on from the past to build a better future, Aunt Emily believes that, "the past is the future", which goes hand in hand with her view that "what this country [Canada] did to us, it did to itself." With that being said, it is likely that that is the reason why Aunt Emily feels she must educate Naomi on issues that have involved the injustice towards the Japanese. Aunt Emily is also a character who in enraged with injustice. She believes that what the government did to the Japanese in the past was awful. Even so, she sees herself as a "Canadian citizen". This idea is supported through quotes such as, "wherever the words "Japanese race" appeared, Aunt Emily had crossed them out and written "Canadian citizen"," and "what this country did to us, it did to itself."
