Quick Summary of Farewell to Manzanar

The most important characters are Jeanne's family and her friend Radine. Jeanne thinks Radine is the perfect girl and envies her. Her brothers are Kiyo, Woodrow also known as Woody and Bill. Her's sisters are Eleanor and Shig. The most important of all of them are mama and papa. The most important minor character in Farewell to Manzanar is George Ko Wakatsuki, Jeanne's father. He is the most important because he is the head of the family and makes all the decisions. He is significant to the protagonist because she is in the family and is affected by his decisions. One why Jeanne is affected by her father is that he decided to live in Ocean Park. This decision kept here isolated from other Japanese kids. So when she started going to school with other Japanese Jeanne and her brother, Kiyo, were terrorized by them because they didn't speak Japanese. Because of this isolation she felt a need to fit in her white dominated society. Radine also plays a big role in her need to fit in. Another way her father alters her life is when he doesn't let her get baptized. Later she realizes that wasn't what she really wanted so she is thankful, but does not show it. Another her father influences Jeanne's life is by moving the family from city to city often. Just when Jeanne starts to secure somewhere her family moves and she has to start over. When she moved to San Jose when she was a senior in high school she was chosen as a candidate for the carnival queen. When she won her father tried to take this from her because he said that know a Japanese boy would not marry her. After she won she felt more secure about her place in society. Throughout high school Jeanne felt spectacle about having a boyfriend because of her father. She was afraid he would not like him and chase him away. So her father severely limited her personal life. Her mother also played a significant role I Jeanne's life, but it is her father who profoundly alter Jeanne's life.