Why did John Okada write No-No Boy?
John Okada's No-No Boy Is a Test of American Character. The re-release of a classic novel about Japanese Americans' incarceration during World War II is an opportunity to reflect on the nation's persistent internal conflicts. No-No Boy is a daring book and, I would say, a test of and testament to character.
Who wrote No-No Boy?
John OkadaNo-No Boy / AuthorAbout the Author John Okada was born in Seattle in 1923. He served in the U.S. Army in World War II, attended the University of Washington and Columbia University, and died of a heart attack at the age of 47. No-No Boy is his only published novel.
Why is it called No-No Boy?
the colloquial term for detained Japanese Americans who answered “no” to questions 27 and 28 on the so-called “loyalty questionnaire” during World War II. Those who answered no, or who were deemed disloyal, were segregated from other detainees and moved to the Tule Lake Relocation Camp in California.
What is the theme of No-No Boy?
Prejudice, Discrimination, and Racism Ichiro, the protagonist of No-No Boy, experiences discrimination from many sides. He is discriminated against by white Americans for being Japanese, and he is also shunned by many of his fellow Japanese-Americans because he refused the draft and went to prison.
Is No-No Boy a true story?
No-No Boy tells the story of Ichiro Yamada, a fictional version of the real-life “no-no boys.” Yamada answered “no” twice in a compulsory government questionnaire as to whether he would serve in the armed forces and swear loyalty to the United States.
How many No-No Boys are there?
To understand who the No-No Boys were, it's first necessary to understand the events of World War II. The United States government's decision to place more than 110,000 individuals of Japanese origin into internment camps without cause during the war marks one of the most disgraceful chapters in American history.
What are the two questions no-no boy?
A man who was drafted by the United States Army and answered “no” to two questions regarding his loyalty to the U.S. in a document known as the “loyalty questionnaire.” These questions were Question 27, which asked, “Are you willing to serve in the armed forces of the United States on combat duty, wherever ordered?” ...
Why were Question 27 and 28 of the loyalty questionnaire difficult for the answer?
Question #27 specified “combat duty.” Consequently, many believed that responding “yes-yes” to questions #27 and #28 amounted to volunteering immediately for military service. Many people were worried about the consequences of answering “yes” or “no” to questions #27 and #28, and requested clarifications.
Who is Kenji in no-no boy?
Kenji is a veteran and an old acquaintance of Ichiro's. The two reconnect after Ichiro is released from prison and spend several days together. Kenji has progressive ideas about how the world should be—he dreams of a future in which there is no animosity between people of different races or ethnicities.
What happens at the end of No-No Boy?
By the end of the original novel, Ichiro is walking down a street alone and conflicted, having just seen Freddie, a fellow No-No Boy, die in a car crash while fleeing from a fight with a Nisei veteran.
What were the No-No Boys protesting?
These “no-no boys” were segregated from the “loyal” internees and taken to the Tule Lake Relocation Center, on the California-Oregon border. Draft resisters challenged the actions of the government by protesting the draft that was reinstated in January of 1944. These men refused to show up for physical examinations.
Who is Taro in No-No Boy?
Taro Yamada, age 18, is Ichiro's younger brother. He resents Ichiro's decision to be a no-no boy and quits high school to join the army.
Who originally sang the song Nobody?
Nobody (1905 song)"Nobody"Song by Arthur CollinsLength2:56LabelVictor #4391Songwriter(s)Bert Williams (music) Alex Rogers (lyrics)2 more rows
Is Brad Paisley song he didn't have to be a true story?
Paisley co-wrote "He Didn't Have to Be" with his longtime friend and frequent co-writer, Kelley Lovelace. The tune was based on true events from Lovelace's life: The tunesmith became a stepdad to son McCain Merren when he married his wife, Karen.
Who originally sang dont speak?
No Doubt"Don't Speak" is a song by American rock band No Doubt from their third studio album, Tragic Kingdom (1995). It was released as the third single from Tragic Kingdom in the United States on April 15, 1996, by Interscope Records.
Who first sang No Scrubs?
TLCNo Scrubs"No Scrubs"Songwriter(s)Kevin "She'kspere" Briggs Kandi Burruss Tameka "Tiny" Cottle Lisa LopesProducer(s)She'kspereTLC singles chronology"Diggin' on You" (1995) "No Scrubs" (1999) "Unpretty" (1999)13 more rows
Play summary
Set after World War II as Japanese Americans return to the West Coast, the play follows draft resister Ichiro Yamada after he is released from prison and struggles to come to terms with the consequences of his choices, while the rest of the community tries to get back on its feet after a war that has uprooted them all.
Controversy
The ending of the play has received criticism due to the uplifting tone of Ken Narasaki's rewrite, compared to Okada's original, bleak ending. By the end of the original novel, Ichiro is walking down a street alone and conflicted, having just seen Freddie, a fellow No-No Boy, die in a car crash while fleeing from a fight with a Nisei veteran.
No-No Boy: Introduction
A concise biography of John Okada plus historical and literary context for No-No Boy.
No-No Boy: Detailed Summary & Analysis
In-depth summary and analysis of every chapter of No-No Boy. Visual theme-tracking, too.
No-No Boy: Quotes
No-No Boy 's important quotes, sortable by theme, character, or chapter.
No-No Boy: Symbols
Explanations of No-No Boy 's symbols, and tracking of where they appear.
Brief Biography of John Okada
John Okada was born in Seattle in the early 1920s to first-generation Japanese immigrant parents. He went to college in Seattle, at the University of Washington, but the Second World War interrupted his education.
Historical Context of No-No Boy
No-No Boy takes place in a Japanese-American community in the immediate aftermath of World War II. To fully understand the novel, one must understand the role of Japan in WWII, and the American government’s treatment of its Japanese-American citizens.
Extra Credit for No-No Boy
A Second Chance. John Okada spent the last years of his life working on a second novel, and after his death his widow, Dorothy, attempted to get publishers interested in his unfinished book. Greeted with general apathy, Dorothy burned her husband’s notes and writing.
Why did the father nod to his son's wish?
In answer, the father merely nodded, acceding to his son’s wish because his son was a man who had gone to war to fight for the abundance and happiness that pervaded a Japanese household in America and that was a thing he himself could never fully comprehend except to know that it was very dear. He had long forgotten when it was that he had discarded the notion of a return to Japan but remembered only that it was the time when this country which he had no intention of loving had suddenly begun to become a part of him because it was a part of his children and he saw and felt in their speech and joys and sorrows and hopes that he was a part of them. And in the dying of the foolish dreams which he had brought to America, the richness of the life that was possible in this foreign country destroyed the longing for a past that really must not have been as precious as he imagined or else he would surely not have left it. Where else could a man, left alone with six small children, have found it possible to have had so much with so little?
Why did Ichiro envy Kenji?
He had been envying Kenji with his new Oldsmobile, which was fixed to be driven with a right leg that wasn’t there any more, because the leg that wasn’t there had been amputated in a field hospital, which meant that Kenji was a veteran of the army of America and had every right to laugh and love and hope, because one could do that even if one of his legs was gone…
What was the story of the girl born in the thirty-first year of the Meiji era?
As he shouted, Ichiro listened and, it was as if he were hearing about a stranger as the man spoke of the girl baby born in the thirty-first year of the Meiji era to a peasant family , of her growing and playing and going to school and receiving honors for scholastic excellence and of her becoming a pretty young thing who forsook a teaching career to marry a bright, ambitious young man of the same village. And as the large man transported the young couple across the vast ocean to the fortune awaiting them in America, Ichiro no longer listened, for he was seeing the face of his dead mother jutting out of the casket, and he could not believe that she had ever been any of the things the man was saying about her.
What did Ichiro say to Bull?
Ichiro put a hand on Bull’s shoulder, sharing the empty sorrow in the hulking body, feeling the terrible loneliness of the distressed wails, and saying nothing. He gave the shoulder a tender squeeze, patted the head once tenderly, and began to walk slowly down the alley away from the brightness of the club and the morbidity of the crowd. He wanted to think about Ken and Freddie and Mr. Carrick and the man who had bought the drinks for him and Emi, about the Negro who stood up for Gary, and about Bull, who was an infant crying in the darkness. A glimmer of hope—was that it? It was there, someplace. He couldn’t see it to put it into words, but the feeling was pretty strong.
Society and Individual Identity
Okada uses Ichiro's personal journey to accept his "Americanness" as an allegory for the overall integration of Japanese Americans (and perhaps all immigrants) into American society. Ichiro and his contemporaries, like Okada and his, were forced to embark on this journey.
Point of View
Though the novel is written in third person, from the perspective of Ichiro, readers gain clear insight into the thoughts and feelings of many other characters in the book, all of whom reveal their own perspectives of the wartime situation.
Political Commentary
No-No Boy is a study in contrasts, and it is both a political commentary and a realistic account of racial discrimination in America. Okada contrasts the ideal of America as a melting pot and the...
Overview
No-No Boy (2010) is a play written by Ken Narasaki adapted from the novel of the same title by John Okada, originally produced at the Miles Memorial Playhouse in Santa Monica, California, in association with Timescape Arts Group. It is a drama in two acts. (Each act was approximately 50 minutes in length and there was a 15-minute intermission.) The play was directed by Alberto Isaac, and rec…
Play summary
Set after World War II as Japanese Americans return to the West Coast, the play follows draft resister Ichiro Yamada after he is released from prison and struggles to come to terms with the consequences of his choices, while the rest of the community tries to get back on its feet after a war that has uprooted them all.
Characters
• Ichiro Yamada: Nisei draft resister
• Pa: Ichiro's father, Issei
• Ma: Ichiro's mother, Issei
• Kenji Kanno: wounded 442 vet
World premiere company
Miles Memorial Playhouse, 1130 Lincoln Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90403; Opened March 27, 2010; Closed April 18, 2010.
(in order of appearance)
• Ichiro – Robert Wu
• Eto / Jun – Chris Tashima
Controversy
The ending of the play has received criticism due to the uplifting tone of Ken Narasaki's rewrite, compared to Okada's original, bleak ending. By the end of the original novel, Ichiro is walking down a street alone and conflicted, having just seen Freddie, a fellow No-No Boy, die in a car crash while fleeing from a fight with a Nisei veteran. The documentary director Frank Abe describes the stage play's alterations to the plot: "Instead, after a brief knife fight, Freddie escapes. Ichiro goes out d…
Reviews
• 4/1/10 review by Paul Birchall for LA Weekly
• 4/16/10 student review by Jennifer Ta for Daily Bruin
See also
• List of plays with anti-war themes
External links
• Official Site
• Blog
• The Miles Memorial Playhouse