Introduction
Learning Japanese is a fiction narrative revolving around a Korean family living in Japan in their bid to learn the Japanese language. The writer is the youngest member of the family which, consists of four members and a family maid. A Japanese lady takes the role of the teacher in this narrative.
Main text
The writer in writing this fictional narrative is trying to bring out issues related to learning and adapting to new culture. Janice covers a wide range of issues ranging from culture to family issues. Focus has not been put so much on the importance of learning Japanese but rather on learning Japanese as the base through which the writer brings out these issues.
In order for the writer to familiarize the reader with the setting of the story, she has succeeded in inviting the reader to be part of the story by describing in detail the setting, from where Mrs. Yamazaki, the teacher lives “She lives in Block 48, two buildings away” to the main setting of the story and the condition of the place “It is summer, and the apartment is air-conditioned to freezing. Water beads on the windows” On describing where the children go to learn Korean, she writes “The school is in an office building. On the weekdays, it is an office for import/export to and from Korea. We cram into small rooms” All these descriptions are intentionally made by the writer to create a mental picture of the setting, this way, the reader is invited to be part of the story.
The opening of the story gives a clear picture of the roles of the family member and who makes what decision, Janice writes “Mother decides we are to learn Japanese”. It is not the decision of the two young girls or their father to learn Japan; it is their mother who decides what is to be done in the family. This decision does not go along well with all family members, the older girls, 15 years old Min Hee is completely opposed to the whole idea of learning Japanese. She feels that she was old enough and should be left alone to make her own decision on what she wants to do with her life. The following extract clearly indicated Min Hee feeling toward learning Japanese against her consent “She is fighting with my mother. I don’t want to learn stupid Japanese. I need my own time”
In introducing the character by the name Min Hee right from the beginning of the story, the writer is acknowledging the kind of rebellion common with young people at a certain age of life. Min Hee is portrayed as a girl with all forms of shortcomings, from ignorance to bad behaviors. One thing that comes out clearly, she is not attentive, after taking the first lesson in Japanese, she scores the lowest, below her younger sister and her mother. She is a girl struggling with life and she is ready to try and do anything that pleases her.
This extract is a clear indicator that the writer is dealing with a rebellious character “….. I’d rather have a job, Min Hee says. All my friends have summer jobs………… I don’t need to learn how to write Korean, she says. At recess, she and her friends go down and smoke cigarettes on the street. Don’t tell Mom, she says, inhaling. I’ll get you if you do…..” Min Hee feels her Korean name does not sound nice, and in an attempt to make it sound more liberalized, she changes it to Minnie, her parents do not take this matter lightly. To show the seriousness of the father’s opposition to the change of name by her daughter, Janice writes “Someone calls for Minnie. There is no Minnie here, Father tells the caller, and hangs up”
The rebellion takes a full circle when the young girl decides to run away to the street of Kowloon in search of her personal freedom. This action put the whole family in disarray, “in the morning, there is chaos. Mother is weeping, Father is yelling and his face is very red……..Do you know anything? You better tell me or you’ll get spanked”
Culture is another issue that the writer addresses in this narrative. Mrs. Yamasaki in her teaching points out that the “Japanese are very polite … There are polite ways of saying things, and familiar ways. You have to be polite with strangers and elders” This is a deliberate attempt by the writer to bring out this virtue of Japanese. Min Hee does not fail to point out that Koreans are also polite people. One does not fail to know that Japan is full of cultural integration where people from all walks of life live “He calls Min Hee’s friends and talks with their parents, British, American, Indian”. The introduction of the family’s maid also helps in portraying the cultural diversity of Japan. The following quote best displays this cultural diversity “Maria, our Filipino maid, wants to learn Japanese too. I promise to teach her, and one afternoon I do” This also helps in confirming the fact that the Philippines is the world biggest source of maids working all over Asia, Europe and America.
Taking the reader back to History is another aspect that the writer has used to inform the reader of past interactions between Japanese and Korean. The writer tells us that there existed a conflict between Japan and Korea sometimes back in history and the need for forgiveness. She writes “In the past, Mrs. Yamazaki’s people invaded our country and treated us like servants. Mother says not to hold it against her”
The use of a simple form of English in writing this narrative is also another tactic that the writer has used exhaustively to avoid contradicting herself. She has managed to illustrate her characters as non-English speaking people, who have also learned English as a second language just as they are learning Japanese.
Summary
The writer has succeeded in covering a wide range of issues in her small narrative. She has also managed to use many writing techniques like narrative, imagery, etc but has failed the readers as she has not exhaustively covered her main topic, Learning Japanese.
Reference:
Janice Lee, Learning Japanese. 2008. Web.