Historical Fiction: A JAR OF DREAMS

Bibliography

Uchida, Yoshiko. 1981. A Jar of Dreams. New York, NY: Macmillan. ISBN- 0-689-50210-9.


Plot Summary

In A Jar of Dreams, the financial hardships of the Great Depression are exacerbated for Rinko and her family by the prejudice Japanese Americans faced at the time. Her father's business is failing, and the laundry service her mother begins in order to support the family draws threats from an existing laundry. The anxiety felt within the family heightens when her older brother defies his father's educational plans. Rinko desperately wants to escape all that makes her "different". When her traditional aunt visits from Japan, Rinko begins to take pride in her family and learns that self-worth matters more than the view of others.

Critical Analysis

Uchida masterfully conveys the tension between Japanese Americans and some members of the Anglo community in California. Most children will relate to feeling different from their peers and identify with Rinko's feelings of embarrassment over her family, their food, and her appearance. Some may have even experienced the taunting or exclusion she goes through at school.

Uchida explores prejudice in the more adult contexts as well. Beginning with chapter seven, I found myself gripping the book tightly, nervous for the physical safety of the Tsujimura family. The author presents the very real difficulties the Japanese American community faced during this time period through a believable string of events: taunting, threating letters, and even the death of the family dog.


Perhaps the most compelling reason to read A Jar of Dreams comes from the characters. Readers will find Uchida's protagonist likable and believable. Rinko's dialog with her brother's and friends, as well as internally, seems authentic and well rounded. Her Aunt Waka, who not only stays true to herself, but is able to pass courage on to those around, gives readers much to admire. She has such an impact on Rinko's family, that Rinko describes her life as "before and after Aunt Waka". The novel leaves the reader with hope for the Tsujimuras' dreams and pleasure in Rinko's new confidence.


Review Excerpt


The Horn Book. "An ingenious simplicity and grace mark the first-person telling of the story of eleven-year-old Rinko and her Japanese family in Berkeley, California. Times are hard for everyone in 1935, but being Japanese is for Rinko an added burden. . . . Compared with the many worldly-wise contemporary book heroines, Rinko in her guilelessness is genuine and refreshing, and her worries and concerns seem wholly natural, honest and convincing".

Connections



Uchida has written extensively about Japanse American hardships in the time period surrounding World War II. More of her historical fiction includes:



Uchida, Yoshiko. The Bracelet. ISBN-13: 978-0698113909

Uchida, Yoshiko. Journey Home. ISBN-13: 978-0689716416


The author survived internment camp as a child. Her autobiography provides students with a fascinating personal connection to the time period and her writing.



Uchida, Yoshiko. The Invisible Thread: An Autobiography. ISBN-13: 978-0688137038