Hmm…

To me, the manager’s wife in A Japanese Nightingale is meant to stand for Americans as a whole.  Yuki is meant to represent how American’s view the Japanese so the manager’s wife is Watana’s way of saying “Oh yeah, well this is how the Japanese view you.”   Both the manager and his wife are loud and unattractive.  Also, she is the boss of her husband which, to the Japanese people, would be a sign of disrespect sort of like “well at least we respect our men.”

Also, am I the only one who thought that Jack really wasn’t a bad guy?  He goes into it thinking that he’s not going to be one of those awful men who marries a Japanese woman and then leaves her.  Then he meets Yuki and he’s hooked on her.  However, he still tries to ignore the fact that he has to pay for her.  He doesn’t want to get into an arranged marriage.  On pg 32 he even says, “I wasn’t thinking when I said I would.  I don’t want to marry a Japanese girl.  I don’t want to marry any girl.  I wouldn’t be doing right, and it wouldn’t be fair to you.”  I think, even though he’s hooked on her, that he’s still trying to do the right thing.  He wants to marry for the right reasons.  On 52, when he had to make the deal with Nakoda, Wantana states, “This part was loathsome to the youngman.”  But, Yuki’s sneaky and she talks him into it anyway.  After they get married, he still tries to pretend like its a real marriage.  Every time she brings up money, he gets angry and changes the conversation.  Jack doesn’t really turn into a bad guy until he figures out that Yuki is hiding something from him.  He commands that she not leave him and Wantana starts using phrases like, “She belonged to him completely.” (96)  By the end, I think Jack’s come around.  It could be that she’s no longer just a Japanese woman, but that she’s legitimized by being his best friend’s little sister.  That would take a ton of pressure of the relationship since he didn’t want to be on of those men who marries and leaves a Japanese woman.  I’d like to think that he is truly remorseful over his actions.  He talks about her drumsticks that he had broken, “he could not bear the sight of those little broken sticks.” (220)  I don’t think he’s as horrible as everyone makes him out to be.  I think he just got sucked in by her and made some jealousy-driven mistakes.  By the end, I think they really are in love, a very flawed love, but in love.

12 mins to lunch!!!

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