Angelique: No-No Boy

Ichiro- He is a No-No Boy. He is constantly regretting the fact that he didn’t go to war and that he lets others influence and get to him. He also constantly speaks of his mother negatively. She is a burden to him and with her in the way he is not able to decide for things on his own.

No-No Boy- anyone who answered no twice when being questioned to go to WWII.

Mrs. Yamada- a very stubborn and controlling woman. She meant no harm to anyone, and always wanted what was best for them. She became a burden for both her husband and her son and there was no remedy to it.

Mr. Yamada- a weak man, both physically and emotionally. He was easily swayed by his wife and just went where the wind blew him. He didn’t agree with Mrs. Yamada when she believed Japan had won the war but never said a word and never said much to Ichiro either. He was also someone Ichiro resented very much.

In chapter seven Mrs. Yamada commits suicide. Ever since Ichiro came home she’s been trying to convince him that it was a good thing he didn’t go to war and that everyone back in Japan is ok and that they really did win the war. Nothing nor anyone can seem to convince her otherwise and Ichiro constantly gets frustrated with her. When she first receives the letter from her sister she refuses to read it and so Mr. Yamada does it for her. After he reads a portion of it all she says is, “ “Not true. I won’t listen.” She did not, however, move. Nervously, she rubbed her palms against her lap.”(p.109) This makes her feel uneasy and nervous. Deep down inside she truly believes that Japan is the best place in the world and more powerful than anything else. She believes that her son made the right decision in not going, and that Japan won the war. This is her first big wake up call and after this her beliefs are still strong but the downfall begins.

“ “Oh, they are so clever,” she suddenly said very clearly in a voice slightly nasal, “even to the secret which I had long forgotten. How they must have tortured her to maker her reveal it. Poor, poor sister.” ” Both quotations show her great disbelief in the letter from her sister and it shows the intensity of the denial that she is in. If anyone were to change anyone’s mind you would believe it to be a close relative, especially since she was told a secret only the two of them knew. But Mrs. Yamada’s case is a severe one, which in the end takes her to her death. She can’t take any longer all that has been going on. She sees no improvement and she is the only one who still believes strongly in something that no longer is true. The scene where she drowns herself in the tub is a significant one. At this point Mr. Yamada has lost hope and has turned to drinking to soothe him and Mrs. Yamada has entered a depressive state where she has no desire to do anything for herself. Mr. Yamada doesn’t react much when he doesn’t hear the water from the faucet turn off quickly and when he heard gurgling coming from the bathroom. When Ichiro gets home is nervous at first that the bathroom has overflowed and the door is locked but once he realizes she is dead, he insults her as he speaks to himself. He is relieved that she is dead, and even mentioned that to him she has been dead a long time.

This is the breaking point where both Ichiro and Mr. Yamada, are free. They no longer have someone overbearing them and controlling what they do and what they believe in. This is the point where both begin to live more freely and happily. The changes in both are pretty abrupt but they are for the better.

If you were in Ichiro’s shoes would you have reacted the same way? If so why, and how was it that the fact it was your mother died didn’t change your feelings one bit?