Blu's Hanging
Encyclopedia
Blu's Hanging is a 1997 coming of age
novel by Lois-Ann Yamanaka
. It follows the Ogata family after the death of their mother, as each family member struggles to come to terms with their grief
. The story is told through Ivah, a smart-mouthed thirteen-year-old who is left as the oldest child to take care of her younger siblings, Blu and Maisie, while she struggles with her own grief
, emerging sexuality
, and awareness of the world. Similar to Yamanaka's other works, Blu's Hanging, encompasses the topics of racial politics
and the diverse culture of Hawaii
, as well as the coming of age of the main character amongst various sexual threats and questions.
Following its publication, it was awarded the literature prize by the Association for Asian American Studies
(AAAS), which was later revoked over her seemingly racist portrayal of certain minorities.
Even though Eleanor has died, her presence among the family remains. This has both positive and negative effects on the family. The Ogata's struggle to move on, specifically Poppy, who cannot come to grips with her death. He constantly speaks of Eleanor, with frequent references to Moon River
. He becomes hardened and cold to his children as he struggles to grieve. The children are also deeply affected by Eleanor's seemingly constant presence within the family. As they still look to her for guidance and support in dealing with their issues, they are able to rely on her when in pain yet battle with being able to move on.
Because of the fractured state their family is in, their wounded unit is easily torn apart by outer societal influences. Due to the lack of parenting, each child struggles to cope in unique ways. They are treated harshly by Poppy and are neglected of any true care or concern. As he is depressed
himself, he turns to drugs
bringing the family to a more desperate state, economically and emotionally. Certain events begin to unfold and proper judgment on behalf of the children is not used. They find themselves teetering with very dangerous situations to which Eleanor would've never approved of. As a result, Uncle Paulo, a neighbor of the family, rapes Blu, weakening the already fragile state of the Ogatas.
Poppy, left feeling beside himself, blames Ivah for her abandonment of her younger siblings as she attempted to cross her first stepping stone to independence
(i.e. going away to school). As the children have no real support system, and they are constantly combated with troublesome circumstances including racial angst and violence, they are left to feel like orphans as their place in society seems to diminish even further.
Ultimately; Ivah, Blu and Maisie, who are still very attached to the presence of Eleanor, are able somewhat move on through the letting go of their dog, Ka-san. Poppy, still unable to cope with the loss of his wife, leaves as well. Although the children are conclusively alone, it seems as a small glimmer of hope in allowing them to reform as individuals.
Ivah is the narrator
and protagonist
of Blu’s Hanging — we see the novel entirely through her perspective. Ivah is the oldest of Bertram’s three children and acts as a protector and caretaker of Blu and Maisie after their mother dies. Blu’s Hanging acts as a coming of age narrative for Ivah, where she transforms into a maternal figure.
Bertram Ogata (Poppy)
"Poppy" is the narrator’s father. He and his wife, Eleanor, have three children: Ivah, Blue, and Maisie. His wife dies just before the beginning of the novel, but he has not assumed the primary caretaker role of the family. He works several jobs, but his family lives in poverty. Poppy is sometimes rude and abrasive and Ivah often has to take care of him. He lives with leprosy
like his wife did.
Presley Vernon Ogata (Blu)
The middle child, Blu has very few friends. At school, the kids make fun of him for his paper bag lunches. Blu is overweight
for his age and he often eats gluttonously. He makes friends with a boy named Ed and he is infatuated with the Reyes sisters who live next door, but his sisters Ivah and Maisie are his best friends.
Maisie Tsuneko Ogata
The youngest of the Ogata children, Maisie is in Kindergarten. In Kindergarten
, Maisie wets her pants daily and is eventually placed into Special Education
, where Miss Ito helps her speak. Although she is a predominantly silent character, Maisie lends insight into the spirit of her mother.
The mother of the Ogata children, Eleanor dies a few months before the novel begins, but she is mentioned frequently. We later find out that she died from the treatment she used for her leprosy
. Ivah often reflects on her mother’s absence.
Mr. Iwasaki
Mr. Iwasaki is an old Japanese man who lives on the way to the Friendly Market. He exposes himself to passers-by. He exposed himself to Ivah’s mother and later to Blu as Blu and Maisie were walking by.
Uncle Paulo
The Reyes girls' uncle, Uncle Paulo is a 20 year-old Filipino
male. He is a sexual predator who molests his under-aged nieces and eventually Blu.
Henrilyn Reyes
Henrilyn is one of the younger Reyes girls who live next door to the Ogatas.
Trixi Reyes
Trixi is one of the Younger Reyes girls who live next door to the Ogatas. She enjoys playing with the canary at home and she is afraid of her Uncle Paulo who threatens to rape her.
Blendaline Reyes
Blendaline, nicknamed “Blendie,” is one of the Ogata’s neighbors. She is Blu’s first girlfriend and they are sexually intimate with each other.
Evangeline Reyes
Evangeline, nicknamed "Vangie", is Ivah’s age. She starts dating Mitchell, the boy Ivah has a crush on, and the two of them have sex.
Ka-San
Ka-San is Maisie’s dog, named after "O-kasan", which Eleanor Ogata used to play for her children to make them feel spoiled. Maisie says that the dog is Mama.
Hoppy Creetat
Hoppy is the Ogata’s cat. She gives birth to four kittens: Miss Anna, Fortune Cookie, Morris the Cat, and Kigdom Come.
Miss Tammy Owens
Miss Owens is Maisie’s Kindergarten teacher who discourages Maisie and sends her to Special Education
for her lack of communication skills.
Betty Fukuda
Aunty Betty is Bertram’s sister and aunt of the three Ogata children. Flies all four Ogata’s to her house in Hilo for Thanksgiving
. She continually brags about her daughter, Lila Beth.
Myron Fukuda
Uncle Myron is Aunt Betty’s husband. He is a teacher
.
Ed the Big Head Endo
Ed is one of Blu’s only friends in the novel. Ivah doesn’t care for him because she thinks he takes advantage of Blu’s spending money. Blu always buys Pepsi
and barbecue chips with Ed, so they call themselves “Pep and Bob.” Blu is Pep; Ed is Bob.
Lila Beth Fukuda
Lila is Betty and Myron’s daughter who is a senior in high school
. She always smells like strawberry musk and wears low-cut tops and low-rise jeans.
Faith Ann Fukuda (Big Sis)
Big Sis is Betty and Myron’s elder daughter who is also the oldest cousin of the Ogata’s. She is entering her last year of college at Hilo College and goes on to live with Miss Ito as a teacher. She is less feminine than her younger sister Lila.
Mitchell
Mitchell has been Ivah’s Portuguese friend since he moved to Kaunakakai from El Segundo. Ivah has a crush on him and thinks of him differently than the other boys. He dates Evangeline and Ivah is his only “friend-friend.” He later becomes a Born Again Christian and cleanses himself of his sexual encounters with Evangeline.
Miss Sandra Ito
Miss Ito, or Sandie, is Maisie’s Special Ed teacher. She helps Maisie improve her communication skills tremendously. She invites the Ogata children over for dinner and a sleepover for Maisie’s birthday.
Mrs. Nishimoto
Mrs. Nishimoto is a schoolteacher from Bloomingdale, Ohio who hires Blu and Ivah to iron shirts for her. She has many children herself, and it is at Mrs. Nishimoto’s house where Ivah demonstrates her true motherly qualities by taking charge when the mother herself is overwhelmed.
Mrs. Ikeda (Icky)
Mrs. Ikeda, also referred to as “Icky,” hires the Ogata children to take care of her dogs.
Jim Cameron
Jim Cameron is the Baptist
church’s summer missionary
.
Grief: From the very first chapter of the novel, the reader encounters the Ogatas in their moment of deepest and most unconstrained grief. This feeling encompasses the entire book. Poppy's sadness is translated through his repeated singings of "Moon River
", whose whimsical lyrics take on a haunting and troublesome edge when Ivah confesses that "I know where he wants to go," and "And who the dreammaker is". Her brother Blu eats to control his grief, "eating away all the sadness until he's so full that he feels numb and sleepy". Finally, her sister Maisie, turns inward. As a young child, her expression of grief is more physical. The fear and insecurity she feels after her mother's death is demonstrated through her refusal to say more than a handful of words and in the frequency which she wets her panties.
Cats: Perhaps the most pervasive of motifs throughout the book is the reoccurring appearance of cats. Ivah's mother teaches her before she dies that "Black cats cure sadness. Calico cats bring good luck." Although the Ogatas adopt a calico-colored cat, Hoppy Creetat, Ivah continuously waits for a black cat to come to her family, to leach away the grief and sadness which has settled over her family, especially her father, following her mothers death. Another focus of the novel, is the treatment of these cats in the Ogata's neighborhood. The Ogata's neighbors, the Reyes, are deemed cat haters or human rats. They seem to derive pleasure from torturing and killing neighborhood cats in various cruel ways. Their torment is especially significant after they hang the newborn kittens from Hoppy Creetat's litter. In many ways, killing Ivah's hope for a black cat to release her family from sadness. Although the book mainly focuses on cats, dogs too play a significant role. Both Ivah and Maisie seem to believe that their adopted black dog, Ka-san, is an embodiment of their mother. Ka-san protects and provides comfort to the Ogata family members, almost in the way that the mythical black cat would. The Ogata children try to understand and find answers to their grief through the various animals which they encounter. While Hoppy Creetat and Ka-san bring them a measure of comfort and perhaps understanding of their mother, other animals such as the dogs kept by Mrs. Ikeda help them to process another kind of sadness and through the sadness, true happiness. Blu composes cartoons and sayings regarding what happiness is. "Happiness Is Gunther, Chloe, and Simon after they groom and bathe and stay in the house for on hour of love and play with their friends. When dogs happy, they dream. I seen my dog dreaming she was chasing a rabbit in her sleep. I love dogs." Finally, cats and dogs are used to seek revenge upon Uncle Paulo, a "human rat" and child molester. Maisie smears cat and dog feces over his wall at the end, leaving marks which he cannot wash off. Not only do the animals in Blu's Hanging embody specific characters' spirits, they are representative of entire spiritual belief.
Consumption & Food: Throughout most cultures of the world, food almost always has some relation to grief and death. The very novel, begins with a description of the bread which the Ogatas eat in their initial mourning period. Like many other cultures, the Ogatas are lavished with food following the death of a loved one, however, this supply quickly dwindles and Ivah must learn how to cook for her family. Her descriptions of the food which she learns to cook represent an understanding of the cultural and racial heritage of the Hawaiian islands and the Ogatas. Many of their meals are a mixture of more traditional Japanese elements such as rice with Hawaiian staples like Spam
and American concepts and brands. Although the meals are often cheap and quick fixes, they provide the reader with an understanding of the Ogatas' unique place in the world. Their very lack of food comes to represent the family's breakdown and their attempts to bring back a semblance of normality. The most significant example of consumption throughout the book is undoubtedly Blu. As the book progresses, Blu continues to grow in size as he eats his feelings. One of his most frequent snacks is "mayonnaise bread," which consists of mayonnaise and various spices slathered onto pieces of bread. Like their other meals, this unhealthy snack is a reminder of the Ogata's economic station and mixed heritage of various races and cultures. However, as the novel continues and the children begin to adapt to their grief and lifestyle changes, their meals generally improve. This parallel between food, grief, and life provides examples of how the family works to hold it together. Maisie eventually emerges out of her shell, finally speaking in phrases and sentences while reading directions to make a cake. The reader comes to truly understand the family's relation to each other through what they eat.
Coming of Age & Emerging Sexuality:Since the novel is told through the perspective of a thirteen-year-old girl, the reader is not only given a sense of Ivah's coming of age, but of how she interprets the changes in which she sees in the people around her. The book most pointedly discusses the emerging sexuality of Ivah, Blu, the Reyes girls, and Mitchell Oliveira. Although the entire novel is dedicated to Ivah's growth and coming of age, one of the most poignant moments occurs when Ivah first gets her period without the knowledge and support of a mother. At the time Ivah has a crush on Mitchell Oliveira, a neighboring Portuguese boy. Although her crush is dashed, the reader comes to understand the Reyes girls' promiscuity and dark sexual background first through Mitchell's encounters with them. Ivah fears their sexual knowledge, all of which is foreign to her, and she tries her best to protect her brother Blu from them. Unfortunately, as Blue hits puberty and begins to discover his own sexuality through "wana underarms" and "nocturnal emis-shuns", he is continually drawn to the Reyes who can perform sexual favors which make Blu "fly." While the book depicts these first sexual encounters with a certain starkness, the frank tone helps to convey the confusion and fear which Ivah faces in order to come to terms with her own sexuality and that of those around her.
Popular Culture:Yamanaka's descriptions are permeated with popular culture references. From the significance of "Moon River
" lyrics to cowboy diseases and Clint Eastwood
movies to Maisie's favorite song, "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World
". The reader understands the Ogata family's life through these references, what is important to them, what is culturally significant and relevant at the time, and how they relate to and understand these cultural items. The very details of their appearance and actions are given meaning through the labels and brands which they wear and use. Uncle Paolo's "Da Sun" with black lace panties hanging from the antenna, identify him as the sexual predator that he is. His car, and what he does in his car comes to embody his character. Perhaps most of all, Yamanaka's cultural references help to make the characters real and relatable in a world that is consumed and controlled by cultural dictates. Even on Molokai, which the book claims to be culturally behind, characters can find movies and songs to escape into, to create fantasies around, just like the rest of America.
Disease & Leprosy:Although the book hints at leprosy
at several points, Poppy finally lifts the "veil" for Ivah and recounts his and her mother's experience with leprosy, and how this led to her death. Through his retelling of his battle with leprosy
and his relationship with his wife, it becomes clear exactly what demons Poppy has faced, and both the physical and invisible scars these battles have left. The very island on which they live, Molokai
has a deep relationship with leprosy, as it once functioned as a leper colony where the outcasts of society were sent. In a sense, Ivah's description of Molokai and their neighborhood makes it seem as if Molokai
could still very well be a leper colony. Their island is so isolated from the outside world, that Ivah even explains it as their culture being "five years behind Hilo, and Hilo's five years behind Honolulu, and Honolulu's five years behind the mainland. Like her parents, Ivah is also somewhat of an outcast, as she is always prone to catching various illnesses. Her father claims that she always catches "cowboy diseases" such as Hand, Hoof, and Mouth Disease. Although these diseases reflect how the Ogata's live, they also provide a certain identification and nostalgia with the past, both with the Old West and with their mother.
Racial politics of local Hawaiian culture: Although Hawaii in general is a culturally diverse and mixed society, the interactions of these various ethnic people is especially relevant in the Ogata's neighborhood. Yamanaka describes a place in which Japanese and Filipino families mix with the "portagee" and even haole
neighbors. These racial distinctions create a certain awareness of class and racial differences. Each ethnicity or minority seems to view the others with distrust or contempt. There is an especially strong dislike between the haole
teachers and the more native Japanese teachers, as illustrated by Miss Owens and Miss Ito. Despite the tensions, which this mixture of peoples and cultures creates, the reader comes to understand that this is just one facet of Hawaiian culture and history. Blu's Hanging serves as a critique of these race relations. While Yamanaka has been criticized for her portrayals of different races, the novel does bring to light some of the class and hierarchical issues which do exist.
Hanging: From the book's very title, several instances of hanging or references to hanging are markers of significant events within the novel. As the title might infer, most of these instances are related to Blu. In the very beginning Blu accidentally almost hangs himself, then later there is the incident when the Reyes girls hang Hoppy Creetat's kittens. At one point in the story, Blu and Maisie continually play hangman. While their games are indicative of their close relationship and childlike mindsets, Ivah comments that "Nobody's hanged yet." However, Blu does eventually hang for Maisie, the cartoon stick-figure Blu, of course. At the very end, this motif is brought up again, as Blu tries to hang on to the spirit of their mother following his molestation by Uncle Paulo. Later, Maisie seeks revenge by writing a message on Paulo's wall with the words "MaLeSTeR, HaNG, i KiLL You, HuMaN RaT." The image and use of hanging evokes a sense of struggle which is evident throughout the book. All of the characters struggle with different elements of their life, such as grief, sexuality, school, work, etc. Yet, of all of them, Blu is the most caught up within this struggle, at several points almost literally hanging himself. His personal connections and battles always seem to hang by a thread, and in essence, the novel becomes a study of whether in the end, Blu will hang or hang on.
’s second novel, Blu’s Hanging, was released, critics acclaimed that it was “powerful,” “arresting,” and “brilliant.” However, Blu’s Hanging quickly became known as a racially controversial work of literature, namely when the Association for Asian American Studies
(AAAS) awarded the novel the fiction award, and then revoked it.
The controversy centers around one of the Filipino
characters in the novel: Uncle Paulo. Although Uncle Paulo is a minor character in the novel, the fact that he is a Filipino rapist and child molester creates uneasiness in the Asian American
community: some “Asian American academics…say the character perpetuates a stereotype of Filipino men as sexual predators." The protests from this group were successful in convincing the AAAS to revoke the awarded fiction award.
Candace Fujikane, one of Yamanaka’s most relentless critics, supports the AAAS decision to revoke the award, posing the questions: what if the writer were white and Uncle Paulo were black? “I think it would have been easier for people to understand what our concerns are…because she is Japanese, the flat portrayals seems to come from an unawareness of the difficulties that Filipinos have faced.” Fujikane argues that Yamanaka's one-dimensional portrayal of Uncle Paulo as a Filipino male reinforces a system of racism that is already operating.
The revocation of Yamanaka’s award generated a whirlwind of protest among other Asian American
writers who accused the AAAS of “engaging in censorship
in its zeal to strengthen ties among the Asian American
ethnic groups." Dozens upon dozens of writers—including Amy Tan
and Maxine Hong Kingston
—have written letters in support of Yamanaka, yet the AAAS refuses to grant an award to a piece of literature that insults the Filipino
community.
Filipino American
poet
and novelist Jessica Hagedorn
wrote a letter to the AAAS at the pinnacle of the debate claiming, “Yamanaka’s detractors seem to be demanding that only writers who create safe, reverent, comforting stories are worthy of acknowledgement.” She herself would go on to receive similar criticism for her derogatorily titled novel, "Dogeaters
".
Some authors, including Viet Nguyen and Kandice Chuh, argue that the novel itself and the controversy that has surrounded it illuminates the diversity within Asian America. They suggest that "conflict is not the problem to be fixed, but the unavoidable condition of panethnicity
." In her novel, Yamanaka addresses the very phenomenon that has spurred such critical debate: particularities with the panethnic nature of Asian America. Erin Suzuki argues, "As such, what Blu's Hanging, as both a text and a controversy, ultimately represents is the complex moment at which a minority group-in this case, local Asian Americans-begins to reproduce the dominant discourse that has consumed them."
From an author's perspective, Yamanaka
expressed concerns about the implications this controversy has on her future as a writer
: “‘This has frightened me,’ she says. ‘It’s gotten very personal. The distinction between the narrator
and the author
is not being made. People are telling me how to write. The critics have crept into my room and are peeping over my shoulder.’”
Coming of age
Coming of age is a young person's transition from childhood to adulthood. The age at which this transition takes place varies in society, as does the nature of the transition. It can be a simple legal convention or can be part of a ritual, as practiced by many societies...
novel by Lois-Ann Yamanaka
Lois-Ann Yamanaka
Lois-Ann Yamanaka is a Japanese-American poet and novelist from Hawaii. Many of her critically acclaimed literary works are written in Hawaiian Pidgin, and some of her writing has dealt with controversial ethnic issues...
. It follows the Ogata family after the death of their mother, as each family member struggles to come to terms with their grief
Grief
Grief is a multi-faceted response to loss, particularly to the loss of someone or something to which a bond was formed. Although conventionally focused on the emotional response to loss, it also has physical, cognitive, behavioral, social, and philosophical dimensions...
. The story is told through Ivah, a smart-mouthed thirteen-year-old who is left as the oldest child to take care of her younger siblings, Blu and Maisie, while she struggles with her own grief
Grief
Grief is a multi-faceted response to loss, particularly to the loss of someone or something to which a bond was formed. Although conventionally focused on the emotional response to loss, it also has physical, cognitive, behavioral, social, and philosophical dimensions...
, emerging sexuality
Human sexuality
Human sexuality is the awareness of gender differences, and the capacity to have erotic experiences and responses. Human sexuality can also be described as the way someone is sexually attracted to another person whether it is to opposite sexes , to the same sex , to either sexes , or not being...
, and awareness of the world. Similar to Yamanaka's other works, Blu's Hanging, encompasses the topics of racial politics
Racial politics
Racial politics is a term used to describe politicians exploiting the issue of race for a personal agenda.-Racial politics in Malaysia:Malaysian politician Chang Ko Youn put forward "Malaysia has practised racial politics for 51 years and we know it is divisive as each party only talks on behalf of...
and the diverse culture of Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, as well as the coming of age of the main character amongst various sexual threats and questions.
Following its publication, it was awarded the literature prize by the Association for Asian American Studies
Association for Asian American Studies
The Association for Asian American Studies is an organization founded in 1979 to promote teaching and research in Asian American Studies. Its official journal is the Journal of Asian American Studies....
(AAAS), which was later revoked over her seemingly racist portrayal of certain minorities.
Plot summary
Blu's Hanging is a novel which introduces the very distressed life of the Ogata Family. After suffering through the death of their mother, Eleanor, Ivah, Blu, and Maisie struggle to deal with life and the issues that ensue as a result of their loss. Their father, Poppy, struggles to parent them, barely making ends meet and not knowing how to care for his children after losing his wife. Ivah is left to fulfill the maternal role to her two younger siblings and is held to unrealistic expectations by her father.Even though Eleanor has died, her presence among the family remains. This has both positive and negative effects on the family. The Ogata's struggle to move on, specifically Poppy, who cannot come to grips with her death. He constantly speaks of Eleanor, with frequent references to Moon River
Moon River
"Moon River" is a song composed by Johnny Mercer and Henry Mancini in 1961, for whom it won that year's Academy Award for Best Original Song. It was originally sung in the movie Breakfast at Tiffany's by Audrey Hepburn, although it has been covered by many other artists...
. He becomes hardened and cold to his children as he struggles to grieve. The children are also deeply affected by Eleanor's seemingly constant presence within the family. As they still look to her for guidance and support in dealing with their issues, they are able to rely on her when in pain yet battle with being able to move on.
Because of the fractured state their family is in, their wounded unit is easily torn apart by outer societal influences. Due to the lack of parenting, each child struggles to cope in unique ways. They are treated harshly by Poppy and are neglected of any true care or concern. As he is depressed
Depression (mood)
Depression is a state of low mood and aversion to activity that can affect a person's thoughts, behaviour, feelings and physical well-being. Depressed people may feel sad, anxious, empty, hopeless, helpless, worthless, guilty, irritable, or restless...
himself, he turns to drugs
DRUGS
Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows are an American post-hardcore band formed in 2010. They released their debut self-titled album on February 22, 2011.- Formation :...
bringing the family to a more desperate state, economically and emotionally. Certain events begin to unfold and proper judgment on behalf of the children is not used. They find themselves teetering with very dangerous situations to which Eleanor would've never approved of. As a result, Uncle Paulo, a neighbor of the family, rapes Blu, weakening the already fragile state of the Ogatas.
Poppy, left feeling beside himself, blames Ivah for her abandonment of her younger siblings as she attempted to cross her first stepping stone to independence
Independence
Independence is a condition of a nation, country, or state in which its residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory....
(i.e. going away to school). As the children have no real support system, and they are constantly combated with troublesome circumstances including racial angst and violence, they are left to feel like orphans as their place in society seems to diminish even further.
Ultimately; Ivah, Blu and Maisie, who are still very attached to the presence of Eleanor, are able somewhat move on through the letting go of their dog, Ka-san. Poppy, still unable to cope with the loss of his wife, leaves as well. Although the children are conclusively alone, it seems as a small glimmer of hope in allowing them to reform as individuals.
Major characters
Ivah Harriet OgataIvah is the narrator
Narrator
A narrator is, within any story , the fictional or non-fictional, personal or impersonal entity who tells the story to the audience. When the narrator is also a character within the story, he or she is sometimes known as the viewpoint character. The narrator is one of three entities responsible for...
and protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
of Blu’s Hanging — we see the novel entirely through her perspective. Ivah is the oldest of Bertram’s three children and acts as a protector and caretaker of Blu and Maisie after their mother dies. Blu’s Hanging acts as a coming of age narrative for Ivah, where she transforms into a maternal figure.
Bertram Ogata (Poppy)
"Poppy" is the narrator’s father. He and his wife, Eleanor, have three children: Ivah, Blue, and Maisie. His wife dies just before the beginning of the novel, but he has not assumed the primary caretaker role of the family. He works several jobs, but his family lives in poverty. Poppy is sometimes rude and abrasive and Ivah often has to take care of him. He lives with leprosy
Leprosy
Leprosy or Hansen's disease is a chronic disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis. Named after physician Gerhard Armauer Hansen, leprosy is primarily a granulomatous disease of the peripheral nerves and mucosa of the upper respiratory tract; skin lesions...
like his wife did.
Presley Vernon Ogata (Blu)
The middle child, Blu has very few friends. At school, the kids make fun of him for his paper bag lunches. Blu is overweight
Overweight
Overweight is generally defined as having more body fat than is optimally healthy. Being overweight is a common condition, especially where food supplies are plentiful and lifestyles are sedentary...
for his age and he often eats gluttonously. He makes friends with a boy named Ed and he is infatuated with the Reyes sisters who live next door, but his sisters Ivah and Maisie are his best friends.
Maisie Tsuneko Ogata
The youngest of the Ogata children, Maisie is in Kindergarten. In Kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
, Maisie wets her pants daily and is eventually placed into Special Education
Special education
Special education is the education of students with special needs in a way that addresses the students' individual differences and needs. Ideally, this process involves the individually planned and systematically monitored arrangement of teaching procedures, adapted equipment and materials,...
, where Miss Ito helps her speak. Although she is a predominantly silent character, Maisie lends insight into the spirit of her mother.
Minor characters
Eleanor Ogata (Mama)The mother of the Ogata children, Eleanor dies a few months before the novel begins, but she is mentioned frequently. We later find out that she died from the treatment she used for her leprosy
Leprosy
Leprosy or Hansen's disease is a chronic disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis. Named after physician Gerhard Armauer Hansen, leprosy is primarily a granulomatous disease of the peripheral nerves and mucosa of the upper respiratory tract; skin lesions...
. Ivah often reflects on her mother’s absence.
Mr. Iwasaki
Mr. Iwasaki is an old Japanese man who lives on the way to the Friendly Market. He exposes himself to passers-by. He exposed himself to Ivah’s mother and later to Blu as Blu and Maisie were walking by.
Uncle Paulo
The Reyes girls' uncle, Uncle Paulo is a 20 year-old Filipino
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
male. He is a sexual predator who molests his under-aged nieces and eventually Blu.
Henrilyn Reyes
Henrilyn is one of the younger Reyes girls who live next door to the Ogatas.
Trixi Reyes
Trixi is one of the Younger Reyes girls who live next door to the Ogatas. She enjoys playing with the canary at home and she is afraid of her Uncle Paulo who threatens to rape her.
Blendaline Reyes
Blendaline, nicknamed “Blendie,” is one of the Ogata’s neighbors. She is Blu’s first girlfriend and they are sexually intimate with each other.
Evangeline Reyes
Evangeline, nicknamed "Vangie", is Ivah’s age. She starts dating Mitchell, the boy Ivah has a crush on, and the two of them have sex.
Ka-San
Ka-San is Maisie’s dog, named after "O-kasan", which Eleanor Ogata used to play for her children to make them feel spoiled. Maisie says that the dog is Mama.
Hoppy Creetat
Hoppy is the Ogata’s cat. She gives birth to four kittens: Miss Anna, Fortune Cookie, Morris the Cat, and Kigdom Come.
Miss Tammy Owens
Miss Owens is Maisie’s Kindergarten teacher who discourages Maisie and sends her to Special Education
Special education
Special education is the education of students with special needs in a way that addresses the students' individual differences and needs. Ideally, this process involves the individually planned and systematically monitored arrangement of teaching procedures, adapted equipment and materials,...
for her lack of communication skills.
Betty Fukuda
Aunty Betty is Bertram’s sister and aunt of the three Ogata children. Flies all four Ogata’s to her house in Hilo for Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
. She continually brags about her daughter, Lila Beth.
Myron Fukuda
Uncle Myron is Aunt Betty’s husband. He is a teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
.
Ed the Big Head Endo
Ed is one of Blu’s only friends in the novel. Ivah doesn’t care for him because she thinks he takes advantage of Blu’s spending money. Blu always buys Pepsi
Pepsi
Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink that is produced and manufactured by PepsiCo...
and barbecue chips with Ed, so they call themselves “Pep and Bob.” Blu is Pep; Ed is Bob.
Lila Beth Fukuda
Lila is Betty and Myron’s daughter who is a senior in high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
. She always smells like strawberry musk and wears low-cut tops and low-rise jeans.
Faith Ann Fukuda (Big Sis)
Big Sis is Betty and Myron’s elder daughter who is also the oldest cousin of the Ogata’s. She is entering her last year of college at Hilo College and goes on to live with Miss Ito as a teacher. She is less feminine than her younger sister Lila.
Mitchell
Mitchell has been Ivah’s Portuguese friend since he moved to Kaunakakai from El Segundo. Ivah has a crush on him and thinks of him differently than the other boys. He dates Evangeline and Ivah is his only “friend-friend.” He later becomes a Born Again Christian and cleanses himself of his sexual encounters with Evangeline.
Miss Sandra Ito
Miss Ito, or Sandie, is Maisie’s Special Ed teacher. She helps Maisie improve her communication skills tremendously. She invites the Ogata children over for dinner and a sleepover for Maisie’s birthday.
Mrs. Nishimoto
Mrs. Nishimoto is a schoolteacher from Bloomingdale, Ohio who hires Blu and Ivah to iron shirts for her. She has many children herself, and it is at Mrs. Nishimoto’s house where Ivah demonstrates her true motherly qualities by taking charge when the mother herself is overwhelmed.
Mrs. Ikeda (Icky)
Mrs. Ikeda, also referred to as “Icky,” hires the Ogata children to take care of her dogs.
Jim Cameron
Jim Cameron is the Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
church’s summer missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
.
Major Themes & Motifs
The major themes and motifs of Blu's Hanging are centered around the Ivah's and her family members' adjustment and coming to terms with the death of their mother. Through the various themes and motifs, the reader sees how various characters process and accept grief, and the troubles and issues which confront them along the way.Grief: From the very first chapter of the novel, the reader encounters the Ogatas in their moment of deepest and most unconstrained grief. This feeling encompasses the entire book. Poppy's sadness is translated through his repeated singings of "Moon River
Moon River
"Moon River" is a song composed by Johnny Mercer and Henry Mancini in 1961, for whom it won that year's Academy Award for Best Original Song. It was originally sung in the movie Breakfast at Tiffany's by Audrey Hepburn, although it has been covered by many other artists...
", whose whimsical lyrics take on a haunting and troublesome edge when Ivah confesses that "I know where he wants to go," and "And who the dreammaker is". Her brother Blu eats to control his grief, "eating away all the sadness until he's so full that he feels numb and sleepy". Finally, her sister Maisie, turns inward. As a young child, her expression of grief is more physical. The fear and insecurity she feels after her mother's death is demonstrated through her refusal to say more than a handful of words and in the frequency which she wets her panties.
Cats: Perhaps the most pervasive of motifs throughout the book is the reoccurring appearance of cats. Ivah's mother teaches her before she dies that "Black cats cure sadness. Calico cats bring good luck." Although the Ogatas adopt a calico-colored cat, Hoppy Creetat, Ivah continuously waits for a black cat to come to her family, to leach away the grief and sadness which has settled over her family, especially her father, following her mothers death. Another focus of the novel, is the treatment of these cats in the Ogata's neighborhood. The Ogata's neighbors, the Reyes, are deemed cat haters or human rats. They seem to derive pleasure from torturing and killing neighborhood cats in various cruel ways. Their torment is especially significant after they hang the newborn kittens from Hoppy Creetat's litter. In many ways, killing Ivah's hope for a black cat to release her family from sadness. Although the book mainly focuses on cats, dogs too play a significant role. Both Ivah and Maisie seem to believe that their adopted black dog, Ka-san, is an embodiment of their mother. Ka-san protects and provides comfort to the Ogata family members, almost in the way that the mythical black cat would. The Ogata children try to understand and find answers to their grief through the various animals which they encounter. While Hoppy Creetat and Ka-san bring them a measure of comfort and perhaps understanding of their mother, other animals such as the dogs kept by Mrs. Ikeda help them to process another kind of sadness and through the sadness, true happiness. Blu composes cartoons and sayings regarding what happiness is. "Happiness Is Gunther, Chloe, and Simon after they groom and bathe and stay in the house for on hour of love and play with their friends. When dogs happy, they dream. I seen my dog dreaming she was chasing a rabbit in her sleep. I love dogs." Finally, cats and dogs are used to seek revenge upon Uncle Paulo, a "human rat" and child molester. Maisie smears cat and dog feces over his wall at the end, leaving marks which he cannot wash off. Not only do the animals in Blu's Hanging embody specific characters' spirits, they are representative of entire spiritual belief.
Consumption & Food: Throughout most cultures of the world, food almost always has some relation to grief and death. The very novel, begins with a description of the bread which the Ogatas eat in their initial mourning period. Like many other cultures, the Ogatas are lavished with food following the death of a loved one, however, this supply quickly dwindles and Ivah must learn how to cook for her family. Her descriptions of the food which she learns to cook represent an understanding of the cultural and racial heritage of the Hawaiian islands and the Ogatas. Many of their meals are a mixture of more traditional Japanese elements such as rice with Hawaiian staples like Spam
Spam (food)
Spam is a canned precooked meat product made by the Hormel Foods Corporation, first introduced in 1937. The labeled ingredients in the classic variety of Spam are chopped pork shoulder meat, with ham meat added, salt, water, modified potato starch as a binder, and sodium nitrite as a preservative...
and American concepts and brands. Although the meals are often cheap and quick fixes, they provide the reader with an understanding of the Ogatas' unique place in the world. Their very lack of food comes to represent the family's breakdown and their attempts to bring back a semblance of normality. The most significant example of consumption throughout the book is undoubtedly Blu. As the book progresses, Blu continues to grow in size as he eats his feelings. One of his most frequent snacks is "mayonnaise bread," which consists of mayonnaise and various spices slathered onto pieces of bread. Like their other meals, this unhealthy snack is a reminder of the Ogata's economic station and mixed heritage of various races and cultures. However, as the novel continues and the children begin to adapt to their grief and lifestyle changes, their meals generally improve. This parallel between food, grief, and life provides examples of how the family works to hold it together. Maisie eventually emerges out of her shell, finally speaking in phrases and sentences while reading directions to make a cake. The reader comes to truly understand the family's relation to each other through what they eat.
Coming of Age & Emerging Sexuality:Since the novel is told through the perspective of a thirteen-year-old girl, the reader is not only given a sense of Ivah's coming of age, but of how she interprets the changes in which she sees in the people around her. The book most pointedly discusses the emerging sexuality of Ivah, Blu, the Reyes girls, and Mitchell Oliveira. Although the entire novel is dedicated to Ivah's growth and coming of age, one of the most poignant moments occurs when Ivah first gets her period without the knowledge and support of a mother. At the time Ivah has a crush on Mitchell Oliveira, a neighboring Portuguese boy. Although her crush is dashed, the reader comes to understand the Reyes girls' promiscuity and dark sexual background first through Mitchell's encounters with them. Ivah fears their sexual knowledge, all of which is foreign to her, and she tries her best to protect her brother Blu from them. Unfortunately, as Blue hits puberty and begins to discover his own sexuality through "wana underarms" and "nocturnal emis-shuns", he is continually drawn to the Reyes who can perform sexual favors which make Blu "fly." While the book depicts these first sexual encounters with a certain starkness, the frank tone helps to convey the confusion and fear which Ivah faces in order to come to terms with her own sexuality and that of those around her.
Popular Culture:Yamanaka's descriptions are permeated with popular culture references. From the significance of "Moon River
Moon River
"Moon River" is a song composed by Johnny Mercer and Henry Mancini in 1961, for whom it won that year's Academy Award for Best Original Song. It was originally sung in the movie Breakfast at Tiffany's by Audrey Hepburn, although it has been covered by many other artists...
" lyrics to cowboy diseases and Clint Eastwood
Clint Eastwood
Clinton "Clint" Eastwood, Jr. is an American film actor, director, producer, composer and politician. Eastwood first came to prominence as a supporting cast member in the TV series Rawhide...
movies to Maisie's favorite song, "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World
The Most Beautiful Girl in the World
The Most Beautiful Girl in the World may refer to:*"The Most Beautiful Girl in the World" , a 1935 song by Rodgers and Hart*"The Most Beautiful Girl in the World" , a 1994 song by Prince...
". The reader understands the Ogata family's life through these references, what is important to them, what is culturally significant and relevant at the time, and how they relate to and understand these cultural items. The very details of their appearance and actions are given meaning through the labels and brands which they wear and use. Uncle Paolo's "Da Sun" with black lace panties hanging from the antenna, identify him as the sexual predator that he is. His car, and what he does in his car comes to embody his character. Perhaps most of all, Yamanaka's cultural references help to make the characters real and relatable in a world that is consumed and controlled by cultural dictates. Even on Molokai, which the book claims to be culturally behind, characters can find movies and songs to escape into, to create fantasies around, just like the rest of America.
Disease & Leprosy:Although the book hints at leprosy
Leprosy
Leprosy or Hansen's disease is a chronic disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis. Named after physician Gerhard Armauer Hansen, leprosy is primarily a granulomatous disease of the peripheral nerves and mucosa of the upper respiratory tract; skin lesions...
at several points, Poppy finally lifts the "veil" for Ivah and recounts his and her mother's experience with leprosy, and how this led to her death. Through his retelling of his battle with leprosy
Leprosy
Leprosy or Hansen's disease is a chronic disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis. Named after physician Gerhard Armauer Hansen, leprosy is primarily a granulomatous disease of the peripheral nerves and mucosa of the upper respiratory tract; skin lesions...
and his relationship with his wife, it becomes clear exactly what demons Poppy has faced, and both the physical and invisible scars these battles have left. The very island on which they live, Molokai
Molokai
Molokai or Molokai is an island in the Hawaiian archipelago. It is 38 by 10 miles in size with a land area of , making it the fifth largest of the main Hawaiian Islands and the 27th largest island in the United States. It lies east of Oahu across the 25-mile wide Kaiwi Channel and north of...
has a deep relationship with leprosy, as it once functioned as a leper colony where the outcasts of society were sent. In a sense, Ivah's description of Molokai and their neighborhood makes it seem as if Molokai
Molokai
Molokai or Molokai is an island in the Hawaiian archipelago. It is 38 by 10 miles in size with a land area of , making it the fifth largest of the main Hawaiian Islands and the 27th largest island in the United States. It lies east of Oahu across the 25-mile wide Kaiwi Channel and north of...
could still very well be a leper colony. Their island is so isolated from the outside world, that Ivah even explains it as their culture being "five years behind Hilo, and Hilo's five years behind Honolulu, and Honolulu's five years behind the mainland. Like her parents, Ivah is also somewhat of an outcast, as she is always prone to catching various illnesses. Her father claims that she always catches "cowboy diseases" such as Hand, Hoof, and Mouth Disease. Although these diseases reflect how the Ogata's live, they also provide a certain identification and nostalgia with the past, both with the Old West and with their mother.
Racial politics of local Hawaiian culture: Although Hawaii in general is a culturally diverse and mixed society, the interactions of these various ethnic people is especially relevant in the Ogata's neighborhood. Yamanaka describes a place in which Japanese and Filipino families mix with the "portagee" and even haole
Haole
Haole , in the Hawaiian language, is generally used to refer to an individual that fits one of the following: "White person, American, Englishman, Caucasian; American, English; formerly, any foreigner; foreign, introduced, of foreign origin, as plants, pigs, chickens"...
neighbors. These racial distinctions create a certain awareness of class and racial differences. Each ethnicity or minority seems to view the others with distrust or contempt. There is an especially strong dislike between the haole
Haole
Haole , in the Hawaiian language, is generally used to refer to an individual that fits one of the following: "White person, American, Englishman, Caucasian; American, English; formerly, any foreigner; foreign, introduced, of foreign origin, as plants, pigs, chickens"...
teachers and the more native Japanese teachers, as illustrated by Miss Owens and Miss Ito. Despite the tensions, which this mixture of peoples and cultures creates, the reader comes to understand that this is just one facet of Hawaiian culture and history. Blu's Hanging serves as a critique of these race relations. While Yamanaka has been criticized for her portrayals of different races, the novel does bring to light some of the class and hierarchical issues which do exist.
Hanging: From the book's very title, several instances of hanging or references to hanging are markers of significant events within the novel. As the title might infer, most of these instances are related to Blu. In the very beginning Blu accidentally almost hangs himself, then later there is the incident when the Reyes girls hang Hoppy Creetat's kittens. At one point in the story, Blu and Maisie continually play hangman. While their games are indicative of their close relationship and childlike mindsets, Ivah comments that "Nobody's hanged yet." However, Blu does eventually hang for Maisie, the cartoon stick-figure Blu, of course. At the very end, this motif is brought up again, as Blu tries to hang on to the spirit of their mother following his molestation by Uncle Paulo. Later, Maisie seeks revenge by writing a message on Paulo's wall with the words "MaLeSTeR, HaNG, i KiLL You, HuMaN RaT." The image and use of hanging evokes a sense of struggle which is evident throughout the book. All of the characters struggle with different elements of their life, such as grief, sexuality, school, work, etc. Yet, of all of them, Blu is the most caught up within this struggle, at several points almost literally hanging himself. His personal connections and battles always seem to hang by a thread, and in essence, the novel becomes a study of whether in the end, Blu will hang or hang on.
Reception and Controversy
When Lois-Ann YamanakaLois-Ann Yamanaka
Lois-Ann Yamanaka is a Japanese-American poet and novelist from Hawaii. Many of her critically acclaimed literary works are written in Hawaiian Pidgin, and some of her writing has dealt with controversial ethnic issues...
’s second novel, Blu’s Hanging, was released, critics acclaimed that it was “powerful,” “arresting,” and “brilliant.” However, Blu’s Hanging quickly became known as a racially controversial work of literature, namely when the Association for Asian American Studies
Association for Asian American Studies
The Association for Asian American Studies is an organization founded in 1979 to promote teaching and research in Asian American Studies. Its official journal is the Journal of Asian American Studies....
(AAAS) awarded the novel the fiction award, and then revoked it.
The controversy centers around one of the Filipino
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
characters in the novel: Uncle Paulo. Although Uncle Paulo is a minor character in the novel, the fact that he is a Filipino rapist and child molester creates uneasiness in the Asian American
Asian American
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
community: some “Asian American academics…say the character perpetuates a stereotype of Filipino men as sexual predators." The protests from this group were successful in convincing the AAAS to revoke the awarded fiction award.
Candace Fujikane, one of Yamanaka’s most relentless critics, supports the AAAS decision to revoke the award, posing the questions: what if the writer were white and Uncle Paulo were black? “I think it would have been easier for people to understand what our concerns are…because she is Japanese, the flat portrayals seems to come from an unawareness of the difficulties that Filipinos have faced.” Fujikane argues that Yamanaka's one-dimensional portrayal of Uncle Paulo as a Filipino male reinforces a system of racism that is already operating.
The revocation of Yamanaka’s award generated a whirlwind of protest among other Asian American
Asian American
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
writers who accused the AAAS of “engaging in censorship
Censorship
thumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...
in its zeal to strengthen ties among the Asian American
Asian American
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
ethnic groups." Dozens upon dozens of writers—including Amy Tan
Amy Tan
Amy Tan is an American writer whose works explore mother-daughter relationships. Her most well-known work is The Joy Luck Club, which has been translated into 35 languages...
and Maxine Hong Kingston
Maxine Hong Kingston
Maxine Hong Kingston is a Chinese American author and Professor Emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley, where she graduated with a BA in English in 1962. Kingston has written three novels and several works of non-fiction about the experiences of Chinese immigrants living in the United...
—have written letters in support of Yamanaka, yet the AAAS refuses to grant an award to a piece of literature that insults the Filipino
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
community.
Filipino American
Filipino American
Filipino Americans are Americans of Filipino ancestry. Filipino Americans, often shortened to "Fil-Ams", or "Pinoy",Filipinos in what is now the United States were first documented in the 16th century, with small settlements beginning in the 18th century...
poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
and novelist Jessica Hagedorn
Jessica Hagedorn
Jessica Tarahata Hagedorn is a Filipino-American playwright, writer, poet, storyteller, musician, and multimedia performance artist.-Biography:...
wrote a letter to the AAAS at the pinnacle of the debate claiming, “Yamanaka’s detractors seem to be demanding that only writers who create safe, reverent, comforting stories are worthy of acknowledgement.” She herself would go on to receive similar criticism for her derogatorily titled novel, "Dogeaters
Dogeaters
Dogeaters is a novel written by Jessica Hagedorn and published in 1990. Hagedorn also adapted her novel into a play by the same name. Dogeaters, set in the late 1950s in Manila , addresses several social, political and cultural issues present in the Philippines during the 1950s.The title is a...
".
Some authors, including Viet Nguyen and Kandice Chuh, argue that the novel itself and the controversy that has surrounded it illuminates the diversity within Asian America. They suggest that "conflict is not the problem to be fixed, but the unavoidable condition of panethnicity
Panethnicity
Panethnicity is the grouping together, and collective labeling, of various independently distinguishable, self-identified and self-sustained ethnicities into one all-encompassing group of people.Often labels of panethnicity group together people of different nationalities and/or ethnicities that...
." In her novel, Yamanaka addresses the very phenomenon that has spurred such critical debate: particularities with the panethnic nature of Asian America. Erin Suzuki argues, "As such, what Blu's Hanging, as both a text and a controversy, ultimately represents is the complex moment at which a minority group-in this case, local Asian Americans-begins to reproduce the dominant discourse that has consumed them."
From an author's perspective, Yamanaka
Yamanaka
is a Japanese surname and may refer to various people and places.-People:* Akira Joe Yamanaka, singer for the Flower Travellin' Band* Sadao Yamanaka , a Japanese film director and writer* Tsuyoshi Yamanaka , a Japanese olympic swimmer...
expressed concerns about the implications this controversy has on her future as a writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
: “‘This has frightened me,’ she says. ‘It’s gotten very personal. The distinction between the narrator
Narrator
A narrator is, within any story , the fictional or non-fictional, personal or impersonal entity who tells the story to the audience. When the narrator is also a character within the story, he or she is sometimes known as the viewpoint character. The narrator is one of three entities responsible for...
and the author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
is not being made. People are telling me how to write. The critics have crept into my room and are peeping over my shoulder.’”
Scholarly Articles
- Russell, Emily. "Locating Cure: Leprosy and Lois-Ann Yamanaka's Blu's Hanging." The Society for the Study of the Multi-Ethnic Literature of the United States (MELUS) 31.3 (2006): 53-80. Print
- Suzuki, Erin. "Consuming Desires: Melancholia and Consumption in Blu's Hanging." The Society for the Study of the Multi-Ethnic Literature of the United States (MELUS) 31.1 (2006): 35-52. Print.
See also
- Asian American literatureAsian American literatureAlthough immigrants from Asia and Americans of Asian descent have been writing in the United States since the 19th century, Asian American literature as a category of writing only came into existence in the early 1970s...
- List of Asian American writers