Summary Of Farewell To Manzanar

Constructed Response The author’s purpose is to tell her story of what she experienced in the camp Manzanar. For example, Jeanne talks about “the packed sleeping quarters, the communal mess halls, the open toilets” and how it “was an open insult to that other, private self, a slap in the face you were powerless to challenge” (Page 34). Jeanne goes on to talk about what she endured in the camp and these were common things they had to live with everyday. “We woke up early, shivering and coated with dust that had blown up through the knotholes and in through the slits around the doorway. During the night Mama had unpacked all our clothes and heaped them on our beds for warmth. Now our cubicle looked as if a great laundry bag had exploded and

“We went because the government ordered us to” (Page 17). This is a quote from Jeanne talking about how the government forced all Japanese in the U.S. at the time into Manzanar, even if they were loyal citizens. “I was sick continually, with stomach cramps and diarrhea. At first it was from the shots they gave us for typhoid, in very heavy doses and in assembly-line fashion: swab, jab, swab, move along now, swab, jab, swab, keep it moving. That knocked all of us younger kids down at once, with fevers and vomiting” (Page 30). The government sent workers to give the Japanese shots for diseases, but because of the amount they gave the kids, all of the kids got extremely sick because of the heavy dosing. The government continued this and did not change doses for kids. This is only one example of how the Japanese suffered at the time. “Later, it was the food that made us sick, young and old alike. The kitchens were too small and badly ventilated. Food would spoil from being left out too long. The refrigeration kept breaking down. The cooks, in many cases, had never cooked before” (Page 30). This happened throughout the entire camp. Again, the government did nothing to change this and the Japanese had to eat expired and moldy food. The Japanese had the option of eating moldy, expired food or just eating nothing. It made them lose in both