Why does Kiyoshi believe Obaban is a substitute for his mom?
Kiyoshi believe Obaban is a substitute for his mom because it was a Japanese superstition that his mother and he believed that when someone got away with doing something bad Bachi was a punishment. Bachi was a punishment that happened to someone else in your family because you did something bad and was getting away with it. When Obaban died Kiyoshi believed it put things back into a natural order. You see Obaban was substituted for his mother and that it saved his mothers life. Know that Obaban dies it took out the bad luck and gave their family good luck or at least put it back in the natural order again because it’s good when people die in the way they are supposed to. The parents die and then the children and so on and so on. Since Obaban was his mothers Hawaii mother she dies in the normal order of things.
I'm not sure that the mother just finally started feeling better or that she too believed that she was saved because Obaban passing. I do believe that people's beliefs can sometime be more powerful then normal cycle of medicine. If people believe they are going to die or something horrible will happen to them it seems to come true. I 'm not sure that their will is just pushing them in that direction or if it’s something else but I know that there are a lot of studies that show people becoming well when there would normally be no hope. I don’t know if it’s because of their belief and that belief is strong so strong that they get better or its just a miracle.
Hi Michelle,
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting that you mentioned medicine. Back in those days, modern medicine was a fairly new business, while folk medicine was still strongly used and believed in. Even though the life expectancy was slightly shorter, people were relatively stronger and healthier throughout their lives. I thinks this kind of points to the power of the mind, which is supported by peoples beliefs. Look at modern Americans. It seems the majority of us believe in pharmacology more than folk medicine, yet we have more illness and injury than ever before!
Thank you.
I think that Kiyoshi believed that Obaban was his mother's subtitute because of the japanese superstition. When Obaban had come to visit his mother she told Kiyoshi that his mother would get better if she found a substitute to receive the bachi. I think that Obaban some how decided that she would be his mother's substitute because his mother was still young and still had children to take care of. Obaban had already lived a long life. All of her children were grown up and could take care of themselves if she was to die where as Kiyoshi's mother's children could not. That is why I believe that Obaban chose to be his mother's substitute.
ReplyDeleteI think that Kiyoshi believed that Obaban was his mother's subtitute because of the japanese superstition. When Obaban had come to visit his mother she told Kiyoshi that his mother would get better if she found a substitute to receive the bachi. I think that Obaban some how decided that she would be his mother's substitute because his mother was still young and still had children to take care of. Obaban had already lived a long life. All of her children were grown up and could take care of themselves if she was to die where as Kiyoshi's mother's children could not. That is why I believe that Obaban chose to be his mother's substitute.
ReplyDeleteI was also wondering if his mother got better. I would think that she would have had to have gotten better in order for Obaban to be the substitute. However, it seemed like Kiyoshi had decided that she was his mother's substitute right from the moment he head of her death. I find it interesting how Kiyoshi just jumped to that conclusion without knowing any other details.
ReplyDeleteHello, Kiyoshi did believe the superstition, but things can change later on. You never know what will happen, maybe it was only a coincidence, that Obaban passed away, and it led them to think it was true. It must have scary for the both of them, Kiyoshi, if you knew later on that his mom was not saved, and died, he would be very disappointed. He probably would cry until his eyes were swollen. It such a sad thing to think about.
ReplyDeleteYou mentioned and answered the question very well. You helped me understand more of what they believed..
Thanks, Lesley