Welcome
Dear Members of the Class of 2013,
On behalf of the University's Faculty and the 2009 Freshman Reading Program, we would like to welcome you to Washington University! We are excited that you will soon be joining us and we are busy preparing for your arrival.
On Monday, August 24th, as part of the 7th annual Freshman Reading Program, you will be participating in a dynamic and thought-provoking discussion of the book, When the Emperor was Divine by Julie Otsuka.
By reaching you before your voyage to college, we hope to highlight the heart of the matter of your education — those habits of inquiry and debate that will constitute your claim to effective citizenship in communities beyond the self. Throughout the academic year, you will encounter themes from the book in classes, discussions and on-campus programming.
Julie Otsuka's quietly disturbing novel opens with a woman reading a sign in a post office window. It is Berkeley, California, the spring of 1942. Pearl Harbor has been attacked, the war is on, and though the precise message on the sign is not revealed, its impact on the woman who reads it is immediate and profound. It is, in many ways she cannot yet foresee, a sign of things to come. She readies herself and her two young children for a journey that will take them to the high desert plains of Utah and into a world that will shatter their illusions forever. They travel by train and gradually the reader discovers that all on board are Japanese American, that the shades must be pulled down at night so as not to invite rock-throwing, and that their destination is an internment camp where they will be imprisoned "for their own safety" until the war is over. With stark clarity and an unflinching gaze, Otsuka explores the inner lives of her main characters — the mother, daughter, and son — as they struggle to understand their fate and long for the father whom they have not seen since he was whisked away, in slippers and handcuffs, on the evening of Pearl Harbor.
Moving between dreams, memories, and sharply emblematic moments, When the Emperor was Divine reveals the dark underside of a period in American history that, until now, has been left largely unexplored in American fiction. (Excerpt from Penguin promotional materials.)
We urge you to approach the Freshman Reading Program discussions in a spirit of openness and the delight of discovery. This is a unique and valuable opportunity to challenge yourself, share your ideas, learn about different viewpoints and to meet and engage in dialogue with your classmates and renowned university faculty. There are no right or wrong answers, no grades. Diverse viewpoints and perspectives will be encouraged and respected. The more involved you choose to be, the more you will take away from this experience.
To glean the most from the discussion session and to contribute, we ask that you read the book before your journey to campus. For your information and enjoyment, we have developed this website containing discussion questions, resources, and information.
Felicitous estivation (you can look it up) and have a happy summer!
Daniel B. Shea
Professor Emeritus of English
Faculty Associate
Student thoughts about the Freshman Reading Program
Ashley Brosius
Sophomore
Major - Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies & Political Science
Member of Alpha Phi Omega (APO) service fraternity & the mock trial team
Volunteers at St. Louis Science Center
Will be serving as a TA next semester for Sexuality Studies
Favorite place to relax on the S-40 is in a hammock, with a smoothie in hand!
"To be perfectly honest, when I first heard I had to read a book over my summer vacation before college I was not excited to hit the books so quickly after I had finished AP exams, finals and graduation. Yet, I soon found the novel selected for my class to be an impacting commentary on society and sustainability and a fast-paced read. Discussing the reading while on campus offered a perfect opportunity to interact with students on my floor as well as a member of the faculty and to gain a valuable new perspective, which is something I now realize happens regularly for me here at Washington University."
Anthonia Ojo
Sophomore
Major - Spanish
Member of the Association of Black Students
"I really enjoyed When the Emperor Was Divine because though the novel is written in a sensitive and delicate style, it gives a bone-chilling account of a Japanese family's treatment during WWII. The style allows the book to remind us of the United States government's injustice to Japanese-Americans without attempting to reopen the scar. I think the story will be useful to students today, teaching them to put themselves in other people's shoes as they question current injustices in the world in all aspects from war to health care."