Research Paper on:
Joy Kogawa's Obasan, Pain and Suffering

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
to come from somewhere outside the realm of mankind, in that it is something caused by natural events and occurrences, we can also note that humans often inflict pain and  suffering on one another, consciously or subconsciously. In Joy Kogawas novel "Obasan" we are presented with illustrations of both kinds, the conscious and the subconscious infliction of pain and suffering.  The following paper examines some of the instances found therein, dividing sections into subconscious infliction of pain and suffering and conscious. Pain and Suffering: Subconscious One of  the most obvious forms of subconscious suffering and pain is that which involves family. We take family very much to heart and are often hurt more by them then by  others we know. What we may brush aside in a friend or an acquaintance we take seriously in our family. For example, an acquaintance may tell us that we are  useless in some respect. We are likely to brush that off as the opinion of someone who doesnt have a clue about us. But, if a family member we care  for tells us the same thing we may well be devastated. And, these often involve realities that occur through subconscious involvement, for our family is not necessarily seeking to destroy  us, but only enlighten us. In Kogawas novel we note that Naomi is very deeply hurt by her mother, without really understanding why. As a child she loved her  mother, but after her mothers disappearance during the war there was something within Naomi that became damaged and hurt because of her mothers absence. While Naomi did not consciously, perhaps,  blame her mother, she was hurt by the fact that her mother seemed to have abandoned her. Her mother, of course, had not control, so to speak, over what took