Chapter 2 Analysis Toolkit: POV Shifts & Symbolism in When the Emperor Was Divine

Lit & Lens Society Weekly Practice

In Chapter 2 of Julie Otsuka’s When the Emperor Was Divine, we board the train with the girl—and everything changes. We’ve left the careful, quiet interior world of the woman from Chapter 1. Now we’re inside the girl’s head, and that shift in perspective is everything.

This week’s Lit & Lens Society practice set gives you two powerful tools to help you unpack the deeper meaning of Chapter 2:

• A POV shift chart to compare the woman’s and the girl’s inner worlds
• A guided symbolism annotation activity to help you dig into recurring images like horses, dust, water, and silence

These are not just reading comprehension questions—this is real literary analysis practice.

Toolkit Part 1: POV Shift Chart

How does our understanding of the story shift when the girl becomes the narrator? What emotions emerge in Chapter 2 that weren’t present before? How does the mood change?

Use this chart to:

• Compare tone, mood, and emotional expression between narrators
• Reflect on Otsuka’s choice to change perspective
• Prepare for an analytical paragraph or short response

Toolkit Part 2: Symbolism Annotation Practice

Symbolism is everywhere in this chapter: wild horses, dry lakebeds, scarves, and the quiet ache of wanting something you can’t name. This guided activity helps you annotate rich, eerie, emotionally charged passages with a purpose.

You’ll:

• Analyze key passages broken down by theme (Horses, Water & Dust, The Men)
• Answer guiding questions as you read
• Explore what each image symbolizes and how it connects to broader themes like freedom, longing, control, and memory

How to Use This Toolkit

• Pick one activity to focus on if you’re short on time
• Do both if you’re pushing toward mastery or working on an essay
• Bring your ideas into our next discussion or reading circle
• Use these tools as evidence planning for a longer literary analysis response