Lauren's response to the second half of "Weedflower"

The second half of the book was a much quicker read than the first. I think this was because the foundation of the novel had been established. Sumiko is so strong and courageous in this book. She is not afraid to grow her garden, especially her stock. She befriends a young Indian boy, and takes a stand when others are beating him up. She deals with loss and change constantly throughout the story.

The garden that Sumiko grows allows her to escape the prison. She and the other Japanese prisoners literally cultivate the land. They take the desert and turn it into fertile, rich farmland. They are able to take ugly and make it beautiful. This is a very telling part in the book because it shows just how the Japanese contribute evne though they are considered prisoners. It is very frustrating because they are fenced in prionsers, yet they make the landbetter for the Native Americans and others who will live on the land in the future. Sumiko and Mr. Moto work together, and she is able to develop a friendship with him. He keeps a snake in a cage, and it is almost symbolic of the Japanese being confined to the camp. It says that he is very fond of the snake and will not kill it.


Sumiko is finally able to make a friend in Frank, the young Native American boy. He sees her just as she sees the stock, as beautiful and unique. He gives her the nickname of Weedflower, which is a great name for her. She is a beautiful young girl, like a flower, but is treated like a weed because she is Japanese. I just see this in so many different parts of the book. She is an outsider even in her own family because she doesn't want to leave the camp. The other kids at the camp do not befriend her, except for the lying girl. She makes friends with an older man and a Native American, both very different than those she had been trying to befriend.


Even though the Japanese were treated poorly during this time, they still brought so much to the US during the war. The young men who volunteered to fight, even though they were being treated like prisoners, show just how loyal they were to a government treated them like criminals. Bull is the definition of courage and loyalty. He does not speak one word against the goverment and is the first to volunteer to fight. He works hard to help his family on the farm and he does all he can to keep their honor. He is a bull; he fights for his family and the country that has turned against him.

Students will be able to relate to Sumiko from the beginning because all she wants is to fit in, and that the goal of many young children. They see how she is rejected by her peers because of her race, and maybe would be a little more understanding next time they thought about judging another. I think that they could really feel empathetic towards all those who lost their homes and all their posessions.

Everyone loves, loses, and suffers; however, this book shows just how extreme loss can be. Sumiko and the thousands of other Japanese during WWII were forced to give up their lives because of their heritage. The United States ultimately apologized, but the deed was done. A country claiming to be free, took the freedoms of innocent citizens. I feel like this book does a great job of really getting inside the personal struggles and triumphs of those living in the camps. It makes me think twice before judging anyone, especially on the basis of color.