Question

read the excerpt from farewell to manzanar: i had nearly outgrown the shame and the guilt and the sense of unworthiness. this visit, this pilgrimage, made comprehensible, finally, the traces that remained and would always remain, like a needle. that hollow ache i carried during the early months of internment had shrunk, over the years, to a tiny sliver of suspicion about the person i was. it had grown so small sometimes id forget it was there. months might pass before something would remind me. when i first read, in the summer of 1972, about the pressure japans economy was putting on american business and how a union in new york city had printed up posters of an american flag with made in japan written across it, then that needle began to jab. based on this passage, write a one - paragraph description of jeanne wakatsuki houstons viewpoint and tone, as well as the meaning of this text. be sure to explain how specific language within the text affects reader understanding of her stance, attitude, and message.

Explanation:

Jeanne's viewpoint is one of lingering trauma from internment, with the pain mostly subsided but easily re - ignited. Her tone is reflective and somewhat melancholic. Words like "shame", "guilt", and "unworthiness" convey her negative self - perception from the past. The metaphor of the "needle" shows the persistent, though small, pain that can be jabbed by external events, like the anti - Japan sentiment in 1972. This language helps readers understand her deep - seated emotional scars and how they can be reactivated.

Answer:

Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston's viewpoint is that the trauma of internment has left a lasting, though mostly dormant, mark on her self - perception. Her tone is reflective and melancholic. The text's meaning is about the long - term emotional impact of internment and how external events can reawaken past pain. Specific language such as "shame", "guilt", and the metaphor of the "needle" effectively convey her stance of lingering trauma, her attitude of sadness and self - doubt, and the message of the enduring nature of emotional scars.