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The earliest known presence of indigenous inhabitants in the Puget Sound region date to around 13,800 BCE.
“It’s members were murdered almost immediately upon setting foot on the beach by a party of Nookta slave raiders”(Guterson 5).
Author uses Imagery to illustrate that how the european settlers treat native Americans inequally. -
The first European settlement in the Puget Sound area was Fort Nisqually, a fur trade post of the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) built in 1833. "Settlers arrived – mostly wayward souls and eccentrics who had meandered off the Oregon Trail."( Guterson 22)
Author uses personification to explain how scary and strange those settlers are. -
Alien land laws were a series of legislative attempts to discourage Asian and other "non-desirable" immigrants from settling permanently in U.S. states and territories by limiting their ability to own land and property.
"The law said they could not own land unless they became citizens"(Guterson 140)
The author uses the quote from the law to state that Japanese are unable to hold lands because of their nationality. -
On September 16, 1940, the United States instituted the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940, which required all men between the ages of 21 and 45 to register for the draft.
"They wanted us to be able to kill them with no remorse, to make them less than people."(Guterson 606)
This is given by Ishmael on how the trial was biased because of the ethnicity of the defendent. -
“In 1941, the Japanese government used 353 aircraft to bomb Pearl Harbor. This sudden attack caused 2403 Americans dead and 1178 Americans wounded.”(nps.gov) "It's very bad," she said. The Japanese air force has bombed everything. It is bad for us, terribly bad. There is nothing else on the radio. Everything is Pearl Harbor"(Gutterson 177). Guterson uses repetition in the quote by using the phrase “It’s bad.” He wants readers to understand that the Japanese Islander is at a disadvantage. -
In the United States during World War II, about 120,000[5] people of Japanese ancestry, most of whom lived on the Pacific Coast, were forcibly relocated and incarcerated in concentration camps in the western interior of the country.
"That night dust and yellow sand blew through the knotholes in the walls and floor." (Guterson 388)
Author uses the environment in concentration camp to illustrate the hardship the Japanese were going through. -
In 1943, America invaded Gilibert Island, and this is the first invasion for America. 6.4k people died in this war. The U.S lost too many soldiers in this war. (nps.gov)
“He was reminded for a moment of Tarawa atoll and its seawall and the palms that lay in rows on their side, knocked down by the compression from the naval guns” (Gutterson 428)
Guterson uses imagery to detail the trees being knocked down by gun to show how fierce the Battle of Tarawa is. -
A Dear John letter is a letter written to a man by his wife or romantic partner to inform him that their relationship is over, usually because his partner has found another lover.
"I don’t love you, Ishmael.,,,I am not yours anymore"(Guterson 624)
THis letter was given by hatsue to Ishmael saying that Hatsue no longer loves him because of the situation she was in didn't allow her to do so. -
“In 1945, the United States arrived in Okinawa. After claiming Iwo Jima, the government wants full control of the Pacific Island. The approximate death toll is about 160k people.” (nps.gov)
“Carl…, which went down during the invasion of Okinawa. He'd survived the war--other island boys hadn't--and come home to a gill-netter's life”(Gutterson 15).
Guterson uses irony in this quote, which mentions that Carl survived in war but did not survive in Island. -
The USS Arizona memorial, also called as Pearl Harbor Memorial, was built in 1962. The purpose of this memorial is to dedicate the people who are dead in Pearl Harbor. (nps.gov)
"Remember Pearl Harbor--It Could Happen Here!"; men in uniform would be admitted at no charge; all islanders were encouraged to attend” (Gutterson 91).
Gutterson wants all Americans to remember that the day of Pearl Harbor was under attack.