Reading Guide -When the Emperor Was Divine
General tips for reading the book.
This book is filled with references to history and geography. Knowing or looking these up will help you understand the novel (and its many layers of meaning) better.
Some questions will ask you to make connections between what is happening in the novel and what really happened during this time period. These questions are labeled “Connection to History.”
Title
Turn the title of the book into a question. Turning each into a question will allow your brain to search for the answer as you read.
Define the following words.
Emperor –
Divine–
*Notice the way the title is phrased. The author hints to us right away that the Emperor is no longer divine. What word in the title helps us most with this clue?
Connection to History.
Do we have an emperor in the United States? What type of government do we have?
Do you know anything about this book already? Based on the clues you have gathered from the title and cover, what do you think this book is about?
Chapter –Evacuation Order No. 19
Pg 3What kind of sign does the woman see?
Where was the sign that the woman read?
What did she do after she read the sign?
In what year is the action of this chapter taking place?
Pg 4Connection to History.
Why was there sugar rationing?
Pg 6 What do we know about the woman so far? Describe as many elements of her life and personality as you can?
Pg 7Notice that the color of the mother’s house dress. Mark this spot. This is an important color – mark your book anytime you see this color so you can refer to it easily.
Pg 12 Why does the woman kill the white dog?
Was the white dog their pet? Explain your answer.
Do you agree with her action?
What would you have done if you were in her situation?
Pg 22 Notice that the family members were not given names. Why did the author do this?
Some people are named after a person or place, while others may have a very unique or rare name. Does your name hold a special meaning?
Do you think that a person’s identity is connected to his or her name?
Where is the father?
Why is the family obeying the evacuation order?
Where do they live now?
Chapter – Train
Your Prediction.
Look at the title of the chapter. Why do you think the chapter is named after a train?
Pg 24 What is missing from the lake?
Pg 28How many languages does the little girl speak?
Would you say that the little girl is Americanized? Why or why not?
Pg 30Where does the family stay during the summer?
Pg 33 Connection to History.
Ted Ishimoto says that he is no longer rich. Why not? What happened?
What happened to many of the businesses owned by Japanese Americans?
Pg 46What was thrown through the window of the train?
Why was the item thrown?
What does the girl dream of?
Look back at your answer to the prediction question at the beginning of the chapter on this reading guide. Do you still agree with your answer? Why was the train important enough to name a chapter after?
Would you have titled this chapter “Train”? If not, what would you change it to?
Chapter – When the Emperor was Divine
Notice that this chapter title is the same as the book title. What might this tell us about this chapter?
What do you think will happen in this chapter?
Pg 52 Connection to History.
What is the Emperor’s name?
Why should the children not say the Emperor’s name?
What will happen if they say Emperor’s name?
Pg 56 Why did some people in the detention camps choose to work inside the detention
camp?
Are some people happy to be in the detention camp?
Who is Mrs. Ueno? What connection does she have to the main characters?
Pg 57 Has the boy done anything horrible?
The boy lists many things that he has done wrong. Is the boy being punished for doing these things?
Why do you think he blames himself for his situation?
Pg 60How many pets has the family had so far in this book? You may need to look back to remember.
Did the boy give the tortoise a name? How does he label his tortoise?
Did any of their pets have names?
Have you ever had a pet? If so, did you name it?
Pg 61On this page, the author mentions that there are rules about language. What kind of rules were there?
Why was language in the camp controlled?
Pg 62 Connection to History.
The boy remembers things his father taught him. His father said, “He knew which restaurants would serve them lunch and which would not. He knew which barbers would cut their kind of hair.” What did his father mean? Why was there a difference?
Pg 64 What is alkaline?
Pg 65 What is broken?
When did it break?
Why does it seem like time has stopped?
Pg 68 What is special about the blue stone?
What other blue things does the boy think about?
Pg 74 Why would different shoes be better?
What do slippers imply?
Pg 75What did the mother burn?
Why did the mother burn these things? Why didn’t she give or throw them away instead?
Why did the children eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches?
Pg 86 What did the boy mail to Lordsberg?
Why did he send the leaf there?
Pg 97 What do you think of when you think of water?
What kinds of things, concepts, and emotions does water often symbolize?
Pg 100What color is the flower? Remember that this color is important.
Name other items that in this book that have been this same color.
Chapter – In a Strangers Backyard
This seems like an interesting title for a chapter. It could have several meanings. Make a few guesses about what the title might be referring to.
Pg 108How many years have they been away?
Think about the last three years of your life. What has happened to you in three years?
Pg 110 Why did other people live in their house?
Pg 114 The children say that the town had stayed the same. Is this true?
What has changed?
How is the family’s life different from the life they had before they left?
Pg 118 Why was the father given $25?
Is the family happy that he was given money? Why or why not?
If you were in the father’s place, would you have been happy about receiving the $25?
Pg 121 What do you think happened to Elizabeth?
Chapter – Confession
Pg 140 Why is this chapter in the book? What purpose does it serve?
Pg 142 Is the father all of the people he mentions on this page?
Why does he say that he is?
Define the word crime?
Did the father commit a crime? If so what was it?
Pg 144 The father says, “And if they ask you someday what it was I most wanted to say, please tell them, if you would, It was this: I’m sorry.”
Who is them? Is it his children, his family, the community, future generations?
Why would he say that he is sorry?
What might the father feel regretful or sad about?