Obasan – Creative essay

The scene occurs in the end of the movie, when Naomi Nakane has a dream, where she sees her deceased uncle. Naomi is fascinating and excited as she sees her uncle just next to her. She does not dare to speak at first but her uncle starts first.

• Ask, – tells her uncle
• Ask?… What??? – Naomi seems to be puzzled and she cannot understand what her uncle is talking about
• Ask what you want to know.
• Well, I don’t know.. – Naomi is still uncertain.
• Certainly you know, just think and then ask me, I came to answer your question. – the uncle seems to be persistent and bold to tell something.

Finally, Naomi manages to utter:

• You, uncle, recently, I have recalled what you told me of the War and I gathered my fragmentary recollections of that War and what I do want to know how could you live up with it, when you was treated as an enemy in this country, where you settled and where, I know it for sure, you did your best to survive and to help this country to become better and richer.
• That’s it. That is the question that burns you. But before I answer you, tell me what do you feel.
• Well, I don’t know. I’ve just messed up. I always believed that I am a Canadian. I grew up as a Canadian believing that I am a part of the nation. However, as I recall the wartime, I can hardly imagine that people could treat us in such a way, as if we were traitors. On the other hand, I knew and still know a lot of people, who just see no difference whether I am a Japanese Canadian or not. I am just one of them but as I recall the wartime I still feel the difference. And, you know what? Once I came across an old man like you probably and I still remember his look as if he was about to kill me just because I was of Japanese origin. It’s so strange, you know…
• Certainly, I know,- the uncle says and gives Naomi a hug, – But I also know that people should live their life without complaints. At the same time, people should remember that, above all, they are people. They are not mere beasts, who eat each other for a piece of meat. You know as the war started, I could not believe it. I could not understand how my former countrymen would kill my new countrymen. It was as if brothers were about to kill each other. I could not live up with it and the hatred of Canadians was an unbearable burden for me at the time. However, I understood later that people have nothing to fight for against each other. They are people and they should always be above the fight and avoid it by all means. I suffered many humiliations of my life, just because I was different, because I was of Japanese origin as you say. However, I learned to forgive and I forgive all those people, who condemned and humiliated me because they are miserable in their seeming superiority. They cannot think of something great. They just too shallow for it and we have to forgive them.

At this moment, Naomi wakes up quite amazed and thoughtful.