When The Emperor Was Divine......... Chapter 1

1} Whose point of view dominates this chapter?
The point of view that dominates this chapter is the woman who is introduced. She was a Japenese American who is sent to the internment camps.
2} What does the woman see in the window? Otsuka tells us that “she wrote down a few words.” [p. 3] What do they turn out to be?
In the window the woman sees the notice of Executive Order 9066. The words she wrote down turn out to be the things that they can and can not bring.
3} How much time passes between the appearance of the notice and the events of the rest of the chapter? What do we learn has happened during that time?
A couple of days go by in between. During this time she packs up her and her sons belongings and board up their house. She also gets rid of the pets.
4} What items does the woman buy at the hardware store? What does she intend to do with them? Why might Mr. Lundy keep insisting that she can pay him later, and why is she in turn so determined to pay him now?
She purchased twine and tape at the hardware store. He may feel sorry for her knowing about the Japanese Internment Camps. She may be so determined to pay him now because of the same reason. She probably did not want the pity.
5} Which of the family possessions do the woman and her children pack; which things do they leave behind? What do their choices tell you about them? Discuss the significance of the bonsai tree, the reproduction of “The Gleaners,” and the portrait of Princess Elizabeth.
The family packed some clothes, the boy's baseball glove, and some pictures. They left behind the picture of Jesus in the foyer, the painting of Princess Elizabeth, and a framed reproduction of Millet's The Gleaners. It shows that they are not very attached to the past. The bonsai tree shows that they are going to try to let go of their Japanese roots since they are now in America, and the reproduction of the Gleaners shows she is tired of submissiveness but follows the rules anyway.
6} Otsuka describes the woman as someone “who did not always follow the rules.” Where in this novel do we see her doing this?
He says that "the woman who did not always follow the rules, followed the rules". We seeher doing this in the packing of the items.
7} Why does the woman kill White Dog? How does she explain its disappearance to the children? Do they believe her? Where else do we see her lying to the children?
The woman killed White Dog because they were not allowed pets at th camps. She doesn't tell the children anything happened to White Dog. She acts as if she doesn't know. The kids assume she doesn't. She lies to her children about where they will be going tomorrow.
8} Why is the boy so insistent on keeping his hat on?
It was the only thing he possessed from his father.
9} The girl worries about her looks, noting that “people were staring.” [p. 15] What might be the real reason they were staring at her?
The people were probably staring because they could tell she was Japanese American.
10} Why does the girl ask her mother to make her practice for her piano lesson, and why, when her mother refuses, does she practice anyway?
The girl asked her mother to make her practice because she felt as if her mother didn't care anymore. She practiced anyway because she wanted things to feel like they had before.
11} At what point in the evening’s routines does the woman begin to cry? What is the significance of “La donna é mobile,” a song whose title means “Woman Is Fickle”?
The woman begins to cry when she lets the bird fly away. The song is significant because it makes her think of how at times she is so strong but then at times she is weak.
12}Discuss the significance of the chapter’s final sentence: “Then they would pin their identification numbers to their collars and grab their suitcases and climb up onto the bus and go to wherever it was they had to go.” [p. 22] Why is the author vague about their destination?
He is vague about the destination because they did not know where they were headed and he wanted to leave the readers in suspense as well. He really wants us to put ourselves in their shoes.