by: Graham Salisbury
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Salisbury, Graham. 1994. UNDER THE BLOOD-RED SUN. New York, N.Y. A Yearling Book. ISBN: 0-440-41139-4
SUMMARY
Thirteen year old Japanese American Tomikazu (Tomi) Nakaji’s life quickly changes when his best friend and he witness Japanese fighter planes flying over a field near his home in Hawaii. Shortly after Tomi’s Japanese native father and grandfather are arrested by American military and placed into ‘War Relocation Camps”, Tomi quickly has to become the man of the house, take care of his mother and young sister. Despite the many misunderstanding that plague Tomi’s family during December of 1941, with the support of his good friends Tomi manages to hold everything together and keep Japanese tradition alive in his family.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Scott O’Dell Award winner Graham Salisbury has created an unforgettable novel of courage, survival and friendship. Salisbury’s historical fiction novel of Tomi’s experiences being Japanese during World War II informs his readers of the unfortunate biased attitudes American citizens had towards Japanese immigrants and Japanese Americans during War World II. Even though Tomi is an American citizen, he himself experienced prejudice while standing in line at the grocery store with his mother. “I studied the dirty paint on the side of the store. Soon a gap appeared between Mama and me and the people behind us. In front of us there was also a gap. I looked behind me again, this time into the eyes of a lady glaring straight into mine. In my whole life, I’ll never forget that look. I realized that what that lady saw wasn’t just a boy and his mother…What she saw was a Japanese boy, and his Japanese mother.” Salisbury’s vivid description of Tomi’s encounter with the woman at the grocery store assists his readers in understanding the discomfort that many Japanese individuals felt during World War II and after Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. Tomi’s mother, who was a maid for Mr. Wilson and lived on his land, forced her family to use English when speaking because Mr. Wilson didn’t approve of them speaking Japanese while on his land. Even though Tomi’s family used broken English, they used it to throw off American soldiers who could be watching them, hoping to fit in with the other American Japanese in Hawaii. “In Japanese, Mama said, “Can’t you listen to your grandson, oji-chan? Then in English “Mr. Wilson no like that kine….we could lose the house!” Grandpa Joji had no shame in being Japanese and flying his Japanese flag high. “Grandpa was issei, first generation Japanese immigrant, and looked at things in a certain way. The Japanese way which was stern and obedient.” later in the novel his passion for his culture gets him arrested and placed into a “War Relocation Camp” with Tomi’s father. While reading through the novel I also noticed that there was prejudice toward Americans from the Japanese. Tomi’s family calling his friend Billy a “white boy” or “haole boy” which would be considered prejudiced even though in the novel it didn’t seem to bother Billy. Salisbury has created an image through his descriptive writing that will help his readers grasp the amount of tension and hate that many of the Japanese and Americans had towards one another.
Salisbury does a fantastic job including Japanese culture and tradition into the novel. Many of his readers may not be accustomed to Japanese tradition and would find these traditions interesting, becoming appreciative of diverse traditions and rituals. The novel discusses Tomi having a conversation with Billy about his Grandpa Joji having a butsudan, which holds religious meaning for Joji “What is all that? Who’s in that picture?” he said, nodding over to our family butsudan, a black boxlike thing with doors that opened to a small stage….. On the stage inside the butsudan was a small photograph of my grandmother.” “That’s ….kind of like an alter…to remember Grandma by. That’s her in the picture.” “Why’s she in an altar? What could I say? Well…she died, and Grandpa….Grandpa talks to her.” “He does it all the time. And he lights some incense for her when the sun rises and when it sets. Every day. See, her spirit gives him guidance, and protection. That’s what Mama says. The butsudan is a place you can go to, when you need some help, when you have a problem.” “The same as going to church?” Hanging above the butsudan is a picture of the Japanese Emperor Hirohito. Tomi’s family katana or samurai sword is also a symbol of Japanese tradition that is mentioned in the novel. “The katana had been in our family for over three hundred years.”
Throughout Salisbury’s novel there is a large amount of symbolic representation and meaning of the Japanese culture. Even though the racer pigeons that Tomi’s father and grandpa cherished weren’t symbolic of Japanese culture, I interpreted these pigeons as symbolizing freedom, determination and loyalty. While reading Salisbury’s novel I realized that these birds could be representative of the freedom that Japanese immigrants were determined to have in the United States. I also feel the loyalty that these birds have to their owners and their homes is symbolic of family traditions that are mentioned throughout the novel. Tomi’s friend Billy is a perfect symbolization of friendship. Billy and his family never judged Tomi for being Japanese or left his side after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. Billy continued to be a loyal part of their baseball team “The Rats” until they won their game against the Kaka’aka Boys. Billy also showed sympathy for Sanji, who was a fisherman on Tomi’s father’s fishing boat, after he had been killed by American soldiers.
Under the Blood-Red Sun is an ideal title for Salisbury’s novel. The red sun is symbolic of the red dot that the Japanese fighters had on the side when they flew over Tomi and Billy the day they were playing baseball at Diamond Grass. December 7, 1941 was the day the United States was under attack by Japan, who bombed Pearl Harbor.
Information and events that occurred throughout Salisbury’s novel are accurate with documented historical research and true events during World War II. Historically many of the attacks during World War II occurred at night. Salisbury included in his novel the event of Tomi’s hometown being required to black their windows out, blocking any light that could attract Japanese bomber's attention. This was an actual requirement of the people who were under attack. Salisbury includes an Epilogue at the conclusion of his novel that discusses what happened in 1945 after World War II ended. Adding the Epilogue at the conclusion of the book also give Salisbury’s readers a sense of closure because he didn’t mention that Tomi’s grandpa and father was released from the camps they had been taken to. The Epilogue gives his readers the idea that Tomi’s family was released and was compensated for their lost wages while being incarcerated. Salisbury’s novel provides his readers with opportunities to learn historical situations and facts; his novel can be given to his readers as a replacement for a history lesson, due to the rich historical text that is presented throughout his novel. Salisbury has also provided his readers with a historical novel related to the attacks on Pearl Harbor that has a perfect balance of fact and fiction. The novel doesn’t overwhelming his readers with too much historical information, which can take away from the reader’s fictional reading experience.
Even though this novel isn’t a picture book, we can’t forget the cover illustrations by the amazing artist Kazu Sano. As Japanese fighters fly overhead, the two boys sit together in a tree gazing and pointing in disbelief toward the sky. Sano has painted the ideal image of two young boys whose lives have changed right before their eyes.
Salisbury has provided his readers with an inspirational, fictional story that is based on true events during World War II. His story teaches his readers about the obstacles that many people had to live with or overcome during and after World War II. I would recommend that every young reader give Salisbury’s historical fiction novel Under the Blood Read Sun a try. It is truly an inspirational novel that motivates readers to want to learn more about the effects the bombing of Pearl Harbor had on the individuals who lived through the it.
REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Booklist – starred review- "Salisbury's action-packed novel focuses on the Japanese American perspective during World War II... It is a tribute to the writer's craft that, while there are no easy answers in this story, there is empathy for both cultures." Kirkus Reviews- starred review- “Morally and psychologically complex, historically accurate and unforgettably gripping”
Publishers Weekly Book Review - starred review- "Torn between his love of all things American and the traditional ways of his parents and grandparents, a young Japanese American comes of age during the political upheaval of WWII."
The Horn Book -"Rich in historical detail, the book achieves moments of striking clarity as it explores issues of responsibility, blame, and identity."
CONNECTIONS
Additional Novels by Graham Salisbury for young readers
Eyes of the Emperor - Graham Salisbury - ISBN-13: 978-0440229568
House of the Red Fish - Graham Salisbury - ISBN-13: 978-0440238386
Lord of the Deep - Graham Salisbury - ISBN-13: 978-0440229117
Blue Skin of the Sea – Graham Salisbury - ISBN-13: 978-0440219057
House of the Red Fish - Graham Salisbury - ISBN-13: 978-0440238386
Lord of the Deep - Graham Salisbury - ISBN-13: 978-0440229117
Blue Skin of the Sea – Graham Salisbury - ISBN-13: 978-0440219057
Related Websites:
Readers, teachers and parents can explore Graham Salisbury’s personal website for related text and information about the author that can enhance the reader’s literature experience.
Exploring this website would be a great way for readers to get to know the artist better. Readers can also view other work he has done for movie posters, postal stamps, etc.
Activity Websites:
Kids Net is a great resource for teaching young children about the attacks on Pearl Harbor. The site provides an overview, historical significance, strategic appraisal, aftermath, and further reading that assists readers in their learning about the attacks on Pearl Harbor.
Link to Day of Infamy Speech by President Franklin D. Roosevelt
PBS Kids provides teachers with a variety of ideas for teaching children about the attacks on Pearl Harbor. The Day of Infamy Speech can also be listened to on this website with a short clip.
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