Chapter 4: What Does It Mean to Be American? in When the Emperor Was Divine
Explore identity and assimilation in Chapter 4 of When the Emperor Was Divine with a freewrite and close reading activity on what it means to be “American.”
Lit & Lens Society Identity & Theme Practice
In Chapter 4 of When the Emperor Was Divine, titled "In a Stranger’s Backyard", the family returns to their home—but nothing feels quite right. Their house isn’t theirs anymore. Their community isn’t welcoming. And yet, life goes on—awkwardly, silently, and under a new kind of scrutiny.
This week’s Lit & Lens Society activity invites you to explore what it means to be “American”—and how Julie Otsuka challenges that idea through small moments, symbols, and mood in this chapter.
🧠 What You’ll Reflect On and Analyze
- Your own cultural, racial, and national identity
- The idea of “American-ness”—who defines it? Who’s excluded?
- What “home” means after trauma and dislocation
- Symbols like the house key, running water, and neighbors
- Whether the family is assimilating, adapting, resisting, or fading into invisibility
✍️ Step 1: Identity Free-write
Before diving into the chapter, spend 10 minutes reflecting on your own experiences with identity. This isn’t a test—just an exploration of who you are and how you see your place in the world.
🔍 Step 2: Guided Close Reading
Then, respond to a series of analytical questions that ask you to unpack how Otsuka uses detail, repetition, and emotional contrast to reveal deeper truths about American identity, assimilation, and survival.
💡 Big Questions to Think About
- What makes someone feel at home—and what can take that feeling away?
- Is “American” a legal status, a cultural belonging, a set of values—or something else entirely?
- Can you go back to the life you had before, once your world has been fundamentally changed?
⬇️ Access the identity & theme practice below:
