Picture Bride Group

Question:

jmoody15
jmoody15
Student
High School - 10th Grade

What are the motifs in the Picture Bride?

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Posted by jmoody15 on Sunday April 5, 2009 at 1:11 PM and tagged with motifs, picture bride.

Answers:

  1. arwallace
    arwallace Teacher
    High School - 9th Grade

    eNotes Editor

    Picture Bride deals primarily with the motifs of cultural isolation and, eventually, attempted assimilation.  Hana's isolation from Japanese culture is exemplified in differences such as clothing, religion, food and language. Her isolation is also further expressed in her fairly loveless marriage; she is isolated from everything she knows even though she has married.

    Assimilation is a motif in that Hana must make decisions to become more American through dress, speech and her closest friendships. The traditional role of a wife must be reevaluated once Hana becomes closer to her husband. She must assimilate to American ideals when she makes a disturbing discovery about her husband's business that challenges her prior beliefs about social standing.  The author drives this point home in the portion of the book that deals with the internment of people of Japanese descent during WWII.

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    Posted by arwallace on Monday April 6, 2009 at 1:08 PM