Chapter 3: Memory, Identity & the Camp Experience in When the Emperor Was Divine

Lit & Lens Society Close Reading Practice

We’re now at the heart of Julie Otsuka’s When the Emperor Was Divine—and it’s the longest, most emotionally layered chapter of the book. Told from the perspective of the boy, this chapter invites us to think about memory, time, and identity through the eyes of a child trying to make sense of everything he’s lost—and everything he’s becoming.

Before we analyze symbolism or pull apart imagery, we start here: with the text, your brain, and your best thinking. This set of questions is designed to push you to read carefully, notice patterns, and wrestle with complexity—on your own terms.

🗂️ What You’ll Do in This Practice

As you read Chapter 3 (pages 49–105), you’ll reflect on:

• How the boy's memory of his father's arrest evolves over time
• How the relationship between the boy and his sister shifts—and what that says about both of them
• What the boy’s inner world reveals about fear, waiting, and how we cope
• Why Otsuka might choose the boy’s point of view to reveal life inside the internment camp
• The development of major motifs: dreams, thirst, water, dust, horses, the tortoise, and assimilation

You’ll also be asked to support your ideas with your own evidence from the chapter—not pre-selected passages. This is your chance to stretch your close reading and inference muscles.