American Presence and Ethos of Change

In A Pale View of Hills Etsuko observes the sense of sadness and loss she feels in her hometown of Nagasaki while simultaneously feeling a sense of calm, relief, and expectation for the future. These feelings are indicative of the cultural memory of loss that is instilled in survivors of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Etsuko also mentions the heavy American presence that continues to exist in Nagasaki after the bombing, without disdain. Etsuko’s thoughts demonstrate how the Japanese felt little negativity toward the American presence in their country, even after the United States obliterated entire cities with atomic bombs. In Barefoot Gen, Mr. Nakoaka takes this attitude even further when he denounces the Japanese government and blames them, instead of the United States for the travesties of the war in Japan. Etsuko’s account of American occupation of Japan as source of positive change and Mr. Nakaoka’s denouncing of the Japanese rather than the American government indicates the imperial power that the United States holds over Japan. That power dynamic remains in place today as the United States still occupies Japan.