When the Emperor Was Divine
Notes
When the Emperor Was Divine
• What do you remember about fatalism?
• Talk to a partner.
• 30 seconds.
• Fatalism is the belief that____________.
When the Emperor Was Divine
• Take out your book, When The Emperor Was
Divine.
• Take out your two index cards with your
themes (anonymity, Filial Piety, Erasure,
Fatalism).
Shikata Ja Nai
• "it can't be helped" or "nothing can be done
about it".
Motif
•
Motifs: a repeated image or theme in a work
of art.
–
–
Listen to Curtis Fuller
Picasso Blue Period
Shikata Ja Nai
•
1.
2.
3.
4.
Motifs:
Anonymity (No names)
Erasure (objects disappearing)
Time (watches, clocks, references to time)
Antiquity (The ancient past, history)
Shikata Ja Nai (Fatalism)
Shikata Ja Nai (Fatalism)
Shikata Ja Nai (Fatalism)
Watch “Incredible HD Footage of Tsunami”
“The Gleaners” by Millet
When the Emperor Was Divine
• Take out your “When the Emperor Was
Divine” notes.
Filial Piety
• Predict the meaning of this word.
• 30 seconds.
• Talk to a partner.
Filial Piety
• Filial = relating to son or daughter
• Piety = duty or respect
• Love and respect for one’s parents; not be
rebellious; show honor; display courtesy;
ensure male heirs, uphold fraternity among
brothers; wisely advise one's parents; conceal
their mistakes; display sorrow for their
sickness and death; and carry out sacrifices
after their death.
Filial Piety
• Do you display filial piety for your parents and
your ancestors?
• How?
• Talk to a partner and discuss. You have 1
minute.
Filial Piety
• Track moments of filial piety and page
numbers.
Filial Piety
• Write down 4 daily actions of Filial Piety for
you.
• Write down one BIG moment of Filial Piety
you did for your parents.
Fatalism
• Predict the meaning of this term
Fatalism
• Write one moment of fatalism you went
through. For example:
– When the doctors told us that my grandmother
had pancreatic cancer, I accepted it and did not
fight it. Radiation and Chemotherapy were out of
the question for me.
Fatalism
• is a belief that events are determined by fate.
Fatalism is a belief that we have to accept the
outcome of events, and that we cannot do
anything that will change the outcome,
because events are determined by something
over which we have no control.
Fatalism
• People around school are talking trash about
you. Here are your two options:
1. Fight back, telling EVERYBODY that will listen
that the rumors are false.
2. Go with the flow, and just accept what is
happening, and know that your true nature will
be known.
Determinism
• Variables in life, outside of your will,
determine your fate.
• Example: I am Asian, male, and of average
weight and height. These variables determine
who I am, what will happen to me. Based on
these variables I will live to be 70. I will be
good at math. I have a 49% chance of divorce.
I make over 50,000 dollars a year.
Fatalism
• Do you believe in fatalism?
• Write examples of fatalism in novel and page
number.
• Shikata Ja Nai “It can’t be helped.”
•
•
1.
2.
3.
4.
Reading for a Purpose
Write the following themes on one side of the
index card.
Track the page number and quote for
examples of each theme.
Anonymity (No names, identity)
Erasure (objects and identity disappearing)
Filial piety
Fatalism (It’s not meant to be…Vintrese Hodge)
Index Card
Anonymity:
Page 75: “That evening she had lit a bonfire in the
yard and burned all of the letters from
Kagoshima.”
Reading for a Purpose
•
Use the post-it notes to find the following
items in the book. Write the page number
and quote supporting these themes.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Anonymity (No names, identity)
Erasure (objects and identity disappearing)
Filial piety
Fatalism
Writing Assignment
•
1.
2.
3.
4.
How does displacement affect the following
items for an individual displaced?
Anonymity (No names, identity)
Erasure (objects and identity disappearing)
Filial piety
Fatalism
Chapter 1
1. Take out “When the Emperor Was Divine.”
2. Turn to page 12, “When the children came
home…”
3. Take out your index cards with the
following themes:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Anonymity (No names, identity)
Erasure (objects and identity disappearing)
Filial piety
Fatalism
Chapter 1
1. Read up to page 22 (We started on 9). You have
20 minutes.
2. If you are already finished with chapter 1 (page
22), go ahead and read up to page 48. Quiz on
chapter 2 will be next week.
3. As you read, look for the following themes:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Anonymity (No names, identity)
Erasure (objects and identity disappearing)
Filial piety
Fatalism (Ex: She was not one to follow the rules, but
Chapter 1
1. Read up to page 22 (We started on 9). If you are caught
up, keep reading. (20 minutes)
2. Get back into your literary circles and share moments of
the following examples in the book. Also, review what
happened in the book for the quiz (12 Minutes):
– Anonymity (No names, identity--Hint, look at page 28)
Hint, look at page 28
– Erasure (objects and identity disappearing)
– Filial piety
– Fatalism (Ex: She was not one to follow the rules, but
she followed the rules…P.9)
Quiz will be given on the reading.
Chapter 1
1. Get back into your literary circles and share moments of
the following examples in the book. Also, review what
happened in the book for the quiz (12 Minutes):
– Anonymity (No names, identity--Hint, look at page 28)
– Erasure (objects and identity disappearing)
– Filial piety
– Fatalism (Ex: She was not one to follow the rules, but
she followed the rules…P.9)
Quiz will be given on the reading.
Quiz
1. Take out a piece of paper.
Chapter 1 Quiz
1. What physical ailment did the dog have?
2. What did the woman eat before she killed
the dog?
3. Where was the woman’s husband?
4. What did the boy ask from his sister during
dinner?
Chapter 2
1. Read from 22 to…
2. Get back into your literary circles and share
moments of the following examples in the book:
–
–
–
–
Anonymity (No names, identity—Hint, look at page 28)
Erasure (objects and identity disappearing)
Filial piety
Fatalism (Ex: She was not one to follow the rules, but she
followed the rules…P.9)
Quiz will be given on the reading.
Chapter 2
1. Take out your annotations and finish them.
2. Take out When the Emperor Was Divine.
Chapter 2
1. Take out When the Emperor Was Divine
2. Turn to page 31
Themes
• Intermittent:
• Occurring at irregular intervals; not steady
• Get into your literature circles. Discuss how
“intermittent” relates to the following themes? I
will call on your group for points.
– Anonymity (No names, identity—Hint, look at page 28)
– Erasure (objects and identity disappearing)
Chapter 2
1. Turn to page 24
2. Take out your index cards:
– Anonymity (No names, identity--Hint, look at page 28)
– Erasure (objects and identity disappearing)
– Filial piety
– Fatalism (Ex: She was not one to follow the rules, but
she followed the rules…P.9)
Chapter 2
1. Read up to page 48 (We started on 23). If you are
caught up, keep reading. (30 minutes)
2. Get back into your literary circles and share moments of
the following examples in the book. Also, review what
happened in the book for the quiz (12 Minutes):
– Anonymity (No names, identity--Hint, look at page 28)
– Erasure (objects and identity disappearing)
– Filial piety
– Fatalism (Ex: She was not one to follow the rules, but
she followed the rules…P.9)
Chapter 2
• Read page 49
– POV
• Whose POV?
• Close or distant 3rd?
• What the hell does “3rd” mean?
– Anonymity theme
• How?
• Omniscience
Chapter 1
1. Get back into your literary circles. Complete the
literature circle group work up to page 48.
2. Group leaders, come to the table to pick up the group’s
papers.
Chapter 2
1. READ to page 48
2. Share one instance of the following themes:
– Anonymity (No names, identity--Hint, look at page 28)
– Erasure (objects and identity disappearing)
– Filial piety
– Fatalism (Ex: She was not one to follow the rules, but
she followed the rules…P.9)
Chapter 2
1.
Page 33: What are items in your house that are specific to your ethnicity:
2.
Work with a partner. You have 3 minutes.
Chapter 2
1.
“A man walking along side the tracks would just see a train with the windows
passing by in the middle of the day (28)”
1.
33: “Are you a rich man.” “Not anymore.” --What happens to your identity
when you lose your property? What are you without your house, your “Sun”
or “Luna” or “Casuela”
Talk about the appropriation the JA’s property.
40: “She wrote the name down on the card and threw it out the window.”
What is this emphasis on documentation, naming, remembering? How is this
futile act meaningful to the girl? ANONYMITY THEMES MOTIFS
2.
3.
4.
Chapter 3
1. Take out When the Emperor Was Divine
2. Turn to page 49
Chapter 3
1.
2.
3.
4.
Watch Mr. Kim act like a child.
Remember the definition of “Displacement.”
Watch the “Afghan” video
How can you use the word “displaced” with the
Afghans?
Chapter 3
1. How does displacement affect the family? Address the
following items:
– Anonymity
– Filial piety (Respect to parents, ancestors)
– Fatalism (Ex: She was not one to follow the rules, but
she followed the rules…P.9)
2. Get into your literature groups.
3. You MUST use examples from the book, with page
numbers.
Examples:
1. USE ONE SHEET OF PAPER FOR THE WHOLE GROUP.
2. How does displacement affect the family? Address the
following items:
– Anonymity
• Displacement causes anonymity in the family because as
you move away__________happens, as shown on
page_____.
– Filial piety (Respect to parents, ancestors)
• Displacement weakens filial piety within the family because
____________, as shown on page______.
– Fatalism (Ex: She was not one to follow the rules, but
she followed the rules…P.9)
• Displacement forces the family to rely more on fatalism
because_____________, as shown on page______.
Examples:
1. Read up to page 105 by Monday (chapter 3). QUIZ!
2. After group work, start reading for the rest of the
period.
Examples:
1. Take out your book, When the Emperor Was Divine.
2. Take out your index cards with examples of filial piety,
anonymity, and fatalism.
3. Turn to page 53
Examples:
1. We are going to talk about how displacement affects
the themes we reviewed yesterday.
2. Take out your note cards and copy these quotes down.
Examples:
1. Turn to page 61: Read together.
2. 61: When stripped of cultural symbols of your heritage, what
remains?
3. When you “let the kite go,” what theme is being revealed?
4. Whoa! What is this? In pairs, identify the themes this page
demonstrates. You have 2 minutes.
Examples:
1. Turn to page 64: Read together.
• 64: Name is erased from the table
1. Whoa! What is this? In pairs, identify the theme this quote
demonstrates. You have 2 minutes.
Examples:
1. Turn to page 70: Read together.
REASONS FOR DISPLACEMENT
1. Whoa! What is this? In pairs, identify the theme this quote
demonstrates. You have 2 minutes.
Examples:
1. Turn to page 75: Read together.
2. 75: Stripped of family heirlooms, of objects of history, thrown into
a flame. Here, the mother throws all of the relics of her heritage
into a flame.
3. Whoa! What is this? In pairs, identify the theme this quote
demonstrates. You have 2 minutes.
Examples:
• Turn to page 86: Read page together
• 86: Permanent loss again, losing the pearl earring.
• “Or maybe” she said, “it’s just gone. Sometimes things
disappear and there’s no getting them back. That’s just
how it is.”
1. Whoa! What is this? In pairs, identify the theme this
quote demonstrates. You have 2 minutes.
Writing:
• Take out a piece of a paper
• Write a scene in which you experienced one of the
following themes: Anonymity, Filial piety, Fatalism.
• Use 3/5 senses.
• Turn in your paper in the back basket.
• QUIZ on Monday (Up to Page 105)
Chapter 3, (p. 49-105)
1. Get back into your literary circles. Complete the
literature circle group work from page 49 to page 105.
2. Group leaders, come to the table to pick up the group’s
papers.
3. We are on “DISCUSSION #3”
Chapter 4:
• Take out When the Emperor Was Divine
• Turn to Page 106
Chapter 4:
• Page 106: Whose point of view are we in?
1. 1st, 2nd or 3rd?
(Hint: look up on your phones. Point of view, “we.”)
• You have 1 minute. Work with a partner.
Chapter 4:
• Page 106: Whose point of view are we in?
1. 1st, 2nd or 3rd?
(Hint: look up on your phones. Point of view, “we.”)
FIRST PERSON PLURAL
QUESTION: Why, as a writer, would you use first person plural?
“We were the class that rose to expectations. We did all we
could to help others. We demolished all tests: SAT’s, CST’s,
ACT’s. Our grades transcended our past, reaching the soft
underbellies of clouds. We were the best.”
Chapter 4:
• Page 106: Whose point of view are we in?
1. 1st, 2nd or 3rd?
(Hint: look up on your phones. Point of view, “we.”)
FIRST PERSON PLURAL
Great for capturing a collective, a large group.
Almost chant-like. The problem, though, is
you lose intimacy. But you gain an entire
group. Her second book uses this POV the
whole book.
Chapter 4:
• Page 115: “Now when we saw these people, they
pretended not to see us.”
• What theme/themes does this quote demonstrate?
• You have 2 minutes. Work with a partner.
Chapter 4:
• Grab a copy of When the Emperor Was Divine
• Read from page 116 to 139. (15 Minutes)
• Quiz on Chapter 4 on Monday.
Chapter 4:
• Page 120: “We looked at ourselves in the mirror and did
not like what we saw: black hair, yellow skin, slanted
eyes. The cruel face of the enemy…We turned away
from our reflection.”
• What theme/themes does this quote demonstrate?
• You have 2 minutes. Work with a partner.
Notes
• Take notes for the Big-big essay.
Chapter 3
• Identity:
– Page 60: Tortoise Image (You will see this sucker in The Grapes
of Wrath. Plagiarism? Or creative borrowing?)
– How does this tortoise signify the experience of the characters?
• Symbols of identity: tag
• Symbol of Japanese: why not cat?
Chapter 3
• Displacement and Identity:
– Page 61: How does displacement affect cultural identity?
• The physical removal precedes a cultural and identity removal.
Movement, displacement causes erasure.
Chapter 3
• Displacement and Fear:
– Page 70: Who is speaking?
• How is displacement feeding paranoia and fear?
• The “Other”
Chapter 3
• Displacement and Identity:
– Page 72: The most fundamental unit of human connection, the
family, is disintegrated.
• Cannot remember the father’s face.
Chapter 3
• Displacement and Identity:
– Page 75: Cultural symbols are erased. At the largest unit of
human connection, at the cultural level, identity gets erased.
• Burning of historical symbols, history in ashes, disappearing.
Essay
• Based on the evidence you collected on fatalism and filial piety,
choose which topic you would like to write about.
• Based on the evidence, take a position on the following question.
Does belief in fatalism or filial piety hurt or help you? Let’s
discuss!
Essay
• Turn in your hamburger/hotdog outline with
two quotes.
Essay
• Take out a piece of paper.
• Label it “Essay Scrapbook”
• Take out my essay outline, “Displacement
Essay.”
Essay
• Write a thesis statement using “F.A.T.T.”. Make
sure you take a position. Write this on your
“essay scrapbook.”
• Use “Fatalism” or “Filial Piety.”
• In the novel When the Emperor Was Divine, by
Julie Otsuka fatalism is demonstrated as
helping the characters cope with life’s
difficulties, and I agree with this position.
• Turn in your thesis in the back tray.
Essay
• Write a thesis statement using “F.A.T.T.”. Make
sure you take a position. Write it on the “center
diamond.”
• (Fancier thesis)
• In the novel When the Emperor Was Divine,
fatalism is shown as accepting one’s destiny in
the world, and by accepting one’s fate, you are
helped into a more peaceful way of life, which
enables you to live a fuller life, one with truth and
dignity.
Thesis
• Let’s comment on these sample thesis statements:
• In the novel, “When the Emperor Was Divine,” by
Julie Otsuka, she shows how a family is shredded by
fatalism. This leads the family to feel helpless which
hurts them, weakening the bonds between them.
Thesis
• In the novel, “When the Emperor Was Divine,” by
Julie Otsuka, fatalism is expressed many times
throughout the book.
• So what?
• What is missing?
• 1 minute: I will call on you.
Thesis
• Let’s comment on these sample thesis statements:
• In the novel, “When the Emperor Was Divine,” by
Julie Otsuka, fatalism makes us realize that the
characters go through a lot without being able to
change their destiny. The characters accept
everything that comes to them, realizing nothing else
could be done besides cooperating and continuing to
try living their lives to their fullest abilities.
• So what? What’s missing from this thesis?
• You have 3 minutes.
• I’ll call you.
Thesis
• Let’s comment on these sample thesis statements:
• In the novel, “When the Emperor Was Divine,” by
Julie Otsuka, fatalism makes us realize that the
characters go through a lot without being able to
change their destiny. The characters accept
everything that comes to them, realizing nothing else
could be done besides cooperating and continuing to
try living their lives to their fullest abilities.
• Hint: What can you ARGUE in this thesis?
• You have 1 minute.
• I’ll call you.
Thesis
• In the novel, “When the Emperor Was Divine,” by
Julie Otsuka, fatalism is portrayed by a family
accepting their destiny. When one accepts their fate
given to them, they feel inner peace, nothing to fight
or be distraught over, which allows one to live a
complete life.
Thesis
• Switch your thesis with your partner.
Thesis
• Is it clear if your partner made a JUDGEMENT on filial
piety or fatalism? Is fatalism good or bad according
to their thesis? If not, help each other.
• I will call on you. You will read your partner’s thesis
to the class!
• 3 minutes.
Thesis
• Get a piece of paper.
• Fold it hamburger hot dog.
• Write your thesis in the middle of your paper.
Thesis
• Find two quotes that support your thesis and write
them down on your paper (see next slide).
Thesis
• Find two quotes that support your thesis and write
them down on your paper (see next slide).
• Say-mean-matter the quotes to support your thesis,
using power verbs and phrases.
Thesis: The Japanese were sent to the camps, and this act forced them
to simply accept fate, which helped them live their lives with more poise
• Say: “That was an easy one. You let the kite go.”
• Mean: This quote is arguing that she didn’t do nothing to
keep the kite. (Who is she? If you didn’t do nothing,
doesn’t that mean you do something? Watch the double
negatives).
• Matter: By extension, fatalism is occurring at that
moment. (So what? Are you proving your thesis? How
does fatalism HELP this family?)
Thesis: The Japanese were sent to the camps, and this act forced them
to simply accept fate, which helped them live their lives with more poise
• Say: “That was an easy one. You let the kite go.”
• Mean: This quote suggests that the mom accepted the
fact that loss should be your fate.
• Matter: By extension, fatalism is occurring at that
moment. In this case, by accepting this fact of losing an
item or a treasure you become stronger.
Thesis: The Japanese were sent to the camps, and this act forced them
to simply accept fate, which helped them live their lives with more poise
• Say: “That was an easy one. You let the kite go.”
• Mean: This quote is confirming that the mother put no
effort into keeping the kite.
• Matter: By extension, fatalism is occurring at that
moment. In this case, by just letting go of the kite, she was
accepting her fate by letting go.
Hamburger Hotdog Paper
Writer’s Name: Tommy Kim
Quote #1
Say: She wondered why she had let it hang in the kitchen for so long.
It bothered her, the way those peasants were forever bent over above
that endless field of wheat. “Look up” she wanted to say to them.
“Look up, look up!” The Gleaners, she decided, would have to go.
She set the picture outside with the garbage. (8)
Quote #2
Say:
Mean:
Matter
Mean: This passage demonstrated the frustration and anger felt by
the woman, making her realize how these peasants accepted their
positions of poverty and hardship, which were so similar to her own
position. She was being evicted from her house and sent to a
concentration camp. By not accepting this fate, she is lit aflame with
anger, which does nothing to change her position.
Matter: In other words, she does not let fatalism create the peace
that comes from acceptance of one’s position, the dignity that arises
from receiving life without futile resistance. If she had simply
Thesis: This type of fatalism is demonstrated
accepted her fate, received her hardship as a part of the design of throughout
her
the novel When the Emperor
life, the events would be easier to accept. When the mountain Was Divine, and by accepting one’s destiny
crumples, one can hurl words of anger and injustice, which does in the world, by accepting one’s fate, you are
nothing to stop the collapsing mountain, or one can embrace theirhelped into a more peaceful way of life,
loved ones and silently pray, in communion with a larger design which enables you to live a fuller life, one
with truth and dignity
greater than your anger.
Hamburger Hotdog Paper
Writer’s Name: Tommy Kim
Rhetorical Question Introduction Statement of Fact Introduction
1.
2.
3.
First sentence grabs reader’s attention
with rhetorical question.
Rest of introduction talks about the
who, what, where of argument.
Downside: if the “who-what-where” is
not nailed down, you can lose reader.
Scene Introduction
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Start introduction with a compelling
fact.
Tone of introduction is factual,
objective, and scientific.
Good for research papers
Downside: if facts are not compelling,
the intro can be boring as hell.
Ultimate Mash-up
Use 3 out of the 5 senses
1.
Quickest way to emotionally convince 2.
the reader
Pure storytelling
3.
Mr. Kim is nuts about this one. But you
should learn other techniques.
Downside: if the scene doesn’t have a
solid transition into thesis, the scene
might seem irrelevant…huh?
Use 2 or 3 methods all at once!
Mr. Kim’s sample essay uses the mashup.
Downside: Eh…not much. Rules are
meant to be broken, especially in the
artistic pursuit of writing! Sucka! Don’t
you think writing is noble? The fact is
that writing requires 4 calories per
minute. I smell the freshly sharpened
Essay - Introduction
• Take out a piece of paper.
• Label it, “Rhetorical Question.”
• Write an introduction using a rhetorical
question.
Essay - Introduction
• Find the “who-what-where” of your thesis.
• Write these down.
– WHO: The Japanese American Family
– What: Fatalism (or Filial Piety)
– Where: train, internment camp, house
Essay - Introduction
•
Rhetorical Question Introduction
1.
When all of your possessions are stripped from you, is it possible to
sustain peace and acceptance?
2.
How does an entire culture stay together, when racism and
displacement encumber their every breath?
3.
Is there a way of feeling at peace when all around you the world is
collapsing?
Mr. Kim’s “who-what-where” of his thesis.
–
WHO: The Japanese American Family
–
What: Fatalism
–
Where: train, internment camp, house
Essay - Introduction
•
Rhetorical Question Introduction
1.
2.
Read your partner’s writing.
Is there, “thing, stuff, anything, something, someone, anyone,” in the
writing?
Replace this “thing” with a more specific word.
3.
Essay - Introduction
• Rhetorical Question Introduction
When all of your possessions are stripped from you, is it possible to sustain
peace and acceptance? The Japanese Americans (WHO) experience
during World War II test this question. These American citizens bowed
their heads and simply accepted what was dealt to them, a type of quiet
fatalism (WHAT) that allowed them to survive the worst human rights
violation in America during the 20th century. The Japanese Americans
were forcefully removed from their homes and sent to concentration
camps (WHERE), where their beliefs in fatalism were tested to their
fullest.
• Mr. Kim’s “who-what-where” of his thesis.
– WHO:The Japanese American Family
– What: Fatalism
– Where: train, internment camp, house
Essay - Introduction
• Interesting Statement of Fact Introduction
Here are some interesting facts you can start your essay with:
Japanese-American internment was the relocation and internment by the United
States government in 1942 of approximately 110,000 Japanese Americans and
Japanese who lived along the Pacific coast of the United States to camps called "War
Relocation Camps.”
President Franklin D. Roosevelt authorized the internment with Executive
Order 9066, issued February 19, 1942, which allowed local military commanders to
designate "military areas" as "exclusion zones," from which "any or all persons may
be excluded."
• Mr. Kim’s “who-what-where” of his thesis.
– WHO:The Japanese American Family
– What: Fatalism
– Where: train, internment camp, house
Essay - Introduction
• Interesting Statement of Fact Introduction
Japanese-American internment was the relocation and internment by the United
States government in 1942 of 110,000 Japanese Americans (WHO) and Japanese who
lived along the Pacific coast of the United States to camps called "War Relocation
Camps” (WHERE). All government, including the supreme court, upheld this legal
displacement of families. Some families came out of the experience stronger, their
wills bent and tested, but bending back into shape because of their beliefs, one of
which was fatalism (WHAT).
• Mr. Kim’s “who-what-where” of his thesis.
– WHO:The Japanese American Family
– What: Fatalism
– Where: train, internment camp, house
Essay - Introduction
• On the back of your paper, label it “Interesting
statement of fact intro.”
• Write an introduction using an interesting
statement of fact.
Essay - Introduction
• Scene
The family was in the waiting room of the hospital, and the sounds of the
television and the conversation of nurses filled the room. It was the evening, and
the harsh fluorescent light poured over our faces. My little cousin, who was raised
by my grandmother, asked about treatments: chemotherapy, radiation, surgery.
She refused to accept the news, and because of her refusal, she was flung into
panic, despair and hopelessness. For me, I accepted my grandmother’s fate, and
at age 88, I felt like she had experienced enough to be at peace with her life. She
had buried her own son and a grandson; we had gone on a vacation to Cabo San
Lucas, and she ate an entire lobster; she had been to countless college
graduations, including my own; she had cooked enough meals to nourish
generations. She lived as full of a life as one could ask for, and I accepted the
finality life had given her (WHAT). This type of fatalism is demonstrated
throughout the novel, When the Emperor Was Divine, by a Japanese American
Family (WHO) experiencing the internment camps (WHERE). , and by accepting
one’s destiny in the world, by accepting one’s fate, you are helped into a more
peaceful way of life, which enables you to live a fuller life, one with truth and
dignity.
Essay - Introduction
• On a new sheet of paper, write a scene in your
life that demonstrates filial piety or fatalism.
You can mix and match, using all three
methods if you want.
Introduction
• Writing can be reduced to a series of moves. Let’s see
what kind of moves Mr. Kim has!
13 Moves
• Take out the following materials to start your
essay:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Hamburger/Hotdog outline
My sample essay, “Acceptance of Fate”
13 Moves list
Catalogue of Transitions
13 Moves
Introducing the quote:
In the book, When the Emperor was Divine, the
boy explains what happens when his kite gets
stuck on the concentration camp fence,
“And if your kite gets stuck on it? That’s easy, you
let it go.” This passage explains how a kite
represents the idea of fatalism in play with the
Japanese American family. In this case, we see
how letting go is a form of fatalism, accepting
your destiny as it unfolds before you without
13 Moves
• Use the following list of moves to build your
essay. Go!
1. Transition INTO thesis.
2. Thesis
3. Introduction to quote
4. Say #1 (quote)
5. Mean#1
6. Matter#1
7. Transition
8. Introduction to quote
9. Say #2
10. Mean#2
11. Matter#2
12. Transition into your conclusion
13. Restate thesis
Introduction
• Underline and number the following items:
What type of introduction “move” did Mr. Kim make?
1. Transition INTO thesis.
2. Thesis
Introduction
• Underline and number the following items:
What type of introduction “move” did Mr. Kim make?
3.
4.
5.
6.
Introduction to quote
Say #1 (quote)
Mean#1
Matter#1
Introduction
• Underline and number the following items:
What type of introduction “move” did Mr. Kim make?
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
Transition from fighting fate into accepting her fate.
Introduction to quote
Say #2
Mean#2
Matter#2
Introduction
• Underline and number the following items:
What type of introduction “move” did Mr. Kim make?
12. Transition from the topic of “truth” to “peace.” (Two very different topics
that are joined in one sentence by a conjunction (and, but, however, although).
Essay
• Say-Mean-Matter 2 quotes in the book to prove the thesis. Use POWER VERBS!!
• Thesis: In the novel When the Emperor Was Divine, fatalism is shown as accepting
one’s destiny in the world, and by accepting one’s fate, you are helped into a more
peaceful way of life, which enables you to live a fuller life, one with truth and
dignity.
• Say: She wondered why she had let it hang in the kitchen for so long. It bothered
her, the way those peasants were forever bent over above that endless field of
wheat. “Look up” she wanted to say to them. “Look up, look up!” The Gleaners,
she decided, would have to go. She set the picture outside with the garbage. (8)
• Mean: This passage demonstrated the frustration and anger felt by the woman,
making her realize how these peasants accepted their positions of poverty and
hardship, which were so similar to her own position. She was being evicted from
her house and sent to a concentration camp. By not accepting this fate, she is lit
aflame with anger, which does nothing to change her position.
• Matter: In other words, she does not let fatalism create the peace that comes from
acceptance of one’s position, the dignity that arises from receiving life without
futile resistance. If she had simply accepted her fate, received her hardship as a
part of the design of her life, the events would be easier to accept. When the
mountain crumples, one can hurl words of anger and injustice, which does nothing
to stop the collapsing mountain, or one can embrace their loved ones and silently
pray, in communion with a larger design greater than your anger.
When the Emperor Was Divine Essay
• Take out the following:
• Your rough draft of your When the Emperor
Was Divine essay.
• Your “List of moves.”
• Your “Catalogue of Transitions.”
• The “Hamburger/Hotdog” outline
Essay - Introduction
• Choose an introduction:
– Rhetorical Question
– Interesting statement of fact
– Scene
Move #1 (Transition into thesis)
• Transition from your rhetorical
question/statement of fact/scene into your
thesis.
– “In the same way that I experienced (summarize
your scene), the characters in When the Emperor
Was Divine, by Julie Otsuka also experienced filial
piety/fatalism.”
– My experience mirrored what the Japanese
American family went through in the novel, When
the Emperor Was Divine, by Julie Otsuka.
Move #2 (Thesis)
• You got this, Sistah/Bro!
Move #3 (Second paragraph)
• Write a short introduction of the quote for
paragraph #2. You need to provide context for
the quote so it doesn’t feel “dropped” in.
• You can steal the following.
• When the Emperor Was Divine had many
moments in which (fatalism/filial piety) was
on display. One such example was when
_______________.
Move #4 (quote)
• Write down the quote.
• If the quote is less than three lines, use
“____________ (Page number).”
• If the quote is longer than three lines:
– Double indent
– No quotation marks
– (provide page number)
Move #5 (mean)
• Use a power verb to summarize the quote:
– This passage suggests how_______________.
– Demonstrates
– Implies
– Explains
– Depicts
Move #6 (matter)
• Use a power phrase to show how the quote
matters to the thesis. Use one or two key
words from your thesis:
• GIVE ME AT LEAST TWO SENTENCES!
– In this case____________.
– As a result_____________.
Move #7 and 8 (Transition from 1st body to 2nd
body, AND introducing 2nd quote.)
• Use a transition from body paragraph #1 to
body paragraph #2 and introduce the quote at
the same time.
• Another example of ___________ occurs
when _______________.
• ***Can you see where move 7 and 8 are in
this example?
Move #9 (quote)
• Write down the quote.
• If the quote is less than three lines, use
“____________ (Page number).”
• If the quote is longer than three lines:
– Double indent
– No quotation marks
– (provide page number)
Move #10 (mean)
• Use a power verb to summarize the quote:
– This passage suggests how_______________.
– Demonstrates
– Implies
– Explains
– Depicts
Move #11 (matter)
• Use a power phrase to show how the quote
matters to the thesis. Use one or two key
words from your thesis:
• GIVE ME AT LEAST TWO SENTENCES!
– In this case____________.
– As a result_____________.
Move #12 (Transition into conclusion)
• Choose a “summary and emphasis” transition.
Move #13 (Restatement of thesis)
• Restate your thesis, but imply it, using different
wording.
• Below is an example you can use:
– Whether (example from quote #1) or (example from
quote #2), filial piety/fatalism affects us all.
Move #14 (Bring it back!)
• Revisit the scene from paragraph #1, extending it,
using your evidence to create more depth for your
scene. Use a “comparison” transition if you need
it. Try to not use it and make it more natural.
Essay
• If you are not finished, continue working on your
essay.
• If you are finished, give your essay to a partner,
and have them grade it using my rubric.
• Staple your essay with your grader’s rubric and
score sheet.
• Place these items, stapled, in the back.
Essay
• Turn in your draft in the back tray.
Essay-Paragraph #4
• Transition from paragraph #3 into conclusion.
• Revisit the scene from paragraph #1,
extending it, using your evidence to create
more depth for your scene.
• Read Mr. Kim’s conclusion.