In the Woods of Memory by Takuma Sminkey

Abstract

Shun Medoruma. In the Woods of Memory. Trans. Takuma Sminkey. Albany, California. Stone Bridge Press. 2017. 208 pages. Set during the American occupation of Okinawa, In the Woods of Memory centers on two events that send cracks running out in every direction, linking together a constellation of characters who are left to reconcile the resulting trauma. The first event is the sexual assault of a young Okinawan girl named Sayoko by American soldiers, and the second is born out of the first: a young man named Seiji who strikes out in revenge. Okinawa is devastated when the United States begins its occupation, and the people living there are only able to survive day to day with the rations and aid they receive from the very people who conquered them. This means the villagers have no way to retaliate once the American soldiers begin to make a habit of preying on the girls of the village. Many of Shun Medoruma’s characters roil with the combination of burning resentment and crushing shame resulting from relying on the benevolence of the very people who have assaulted the community. This attention to the rich inner lives of characters is one of the places where the novel shines. It isn’t a dialogue-heavy novel; instead, Medoruma focuses on showing how characters interpret and interact with the world around them and where they seem to believe their place in that world is. The novel is populated and narrated by a cast of characters coming from all sides, weaving the unique perspectives of Okinawans , Japanese, and Americans together into a multifaceted understanding of the complex situation. These varied individual accounts overlap and connect into a story that feels three-dimensional in a way that allows readers to experience the story several times over from each angle and piece together the points where they intersect. Decades pass by in the novel, but for readers, the century turns in a matter of pages, leaving the event as fresh and tender in their minds as it remains for the characters themselves. Sixty years later, those present for the exploitation bear these wounds. The situation of the narrative within a contemporary context brings the entire story uncomfortably close—an unsettling feeling magnified by the translator ’s preface, which reminds readers that this story continues to be written today. Reid Bartholomew University of Oklahoma Perumal Murugan. Current Show. Trans. V. Geetha. Gurgaon, India. Penguin Books. 2017. 186 pages. Perumal Murugan is a contemporary Tamil author whose works mostly focus on the lives of the vulnerable and the disadvantaged. Current Show is his second novel, originally written in Tamil and titled Nizhal Muttram. The book was published in 1993, and the new translation by feminist historian V. Geetha brings the novel back into circulation. Murugan’s novels and short stories usually focus on caste oppression and economic subjugation , portraying a world that remains unknown to the outside world. This novel is set around a movie theater in Pasavu. Current Show follows a group of vulnerable young men whose lives are deeply entangled by circumstance. The novel follows Sathivel, who sells soda during the intermission and plays cards and smokes marijuana with his friends Hulk and Natesan in his free time. Nothing is certain in the lives of these men, including where to purchase their next meal. The soda man often encourages Sathi to farm and give up selling soda. The income might be better, but Sathi likes the excitement that only theater can provide. The men are not sure of a better future, as they spend all their income on bidis (local cigarettes ), tea, and marijuana. While selling soda, the characters draw inspiration from films or see their lives mirrored in them. Murugan’s characters are all defined by poverty and how it affects their character and relationships with one another. For instance, it sheds light on the troubled relationship between Sathi and his father. In one pivotal scene, Sathi’s father visits him, bringing beef. Instead of accepting it, Sathi shouts, “You son of a bitch! You expect me to eat the stuff that you’ve begged for! Don’t make me angry. Just go!” The silver lining amidst all...