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Fictive Fragments Of A Father And Son Analysis

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David Mura’s Fictive Fragments of a Father and Son focuses on Mura discovering his cultural identity through his father’s past lifestyle. As he analyzes his father’s past, he comes to realize his father stories are possibly fictional, but have an inner meaning regardless. Mura comprehends how his father’s stories focus on the idea of freedom and balancing dual cultures. While placed in camps at an adolescent age, Mura’s father had to learn various types of American ideals including cultural activities, celebrations, and traditions. One saying that always stuck with the father is a teacher stating, “After the war you will be free again and back in American society” (Mura 101). The instructor’s lessons mostly focused on what it takes to feel …show more content…

Many elements persuaded non-natives to gradually feel welcome, but it overall led for them to change their idea of what being part of America really symbolized. For instance, the father told Mura that he had played baseball in the camps since the very beginning. With baseball being originated from the United States, it immediately became stamped as an American sport because it highlights their strength, masculinity, and ideals of a modern society. By the camp offering a game such as baseball, it establishes the labels the camp wanted to implement into non-natives in hopes of them to feel more comfortable within society. Another example worth mentioning is participating in the city’s post-war celebrations. After the war ended, the father identifies how the community was celebrating the end of a war. The celebration involved confetti, firecrackers, men sweeping women off their feet, and lastly, music. Notably, the song emphasized in the celebration was called “Stars and Stripes Forever.” A high school band was playing this song loud and proud to demonstrate their patriotic dedication. The instrumental symbolizes the American flag and beliefs of the American traditions. After distinguishing how society celebrated their patriotic pride, this led to the father to come to the conclusion of what the teachers were discussing on how to represent an American and it was like to be free. Ever since being in the camps, the father felt conflicted on how to implement his Japanese culture along with his American culture. At the camp, he was taught American ideals to show his dedication towards their society. In the process, the father became conflicted on balancing two cultures and overall, led for his freedom to feel limited. Obtaining freedom signifies expressing oneself however they pleased. At the same time, the camp instructors

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