All I asking for is my body Part III

What is the meaning of the title?

The meaning of the title “All I asking for is my body” has an important meaning as it is a sense of begging for an escape out of an unjust situation that Toshio and Kiyoshi found themselves in. With Toshio being the number one son and a duty to fulfill his filial piety duty, he constantly lashed out about the situation out of frustration. I can just imagine the sense of suffocation and entrapment he must have felt. It appeared that there was no way out, that he would be working for years on end and never being able to chip away at his parent’s debt. His undeserving fate had him frustrated to the point of talking disrespectful to his mother and actually striking his father.

It seemed that boxing was the only way for Toshio to release his tension and proved a way of a distraction for him to carry on. He thought the only way he could come up with the $6000 was to became a successful professional boxer. He continually commented “All I asking for is my body” was an aggravation at the way the plantation work ran a person’s body down to ground. Honestly, I do not know how he was able to train so hard for boxing after working in the cane fields all day. He only wanted a chance at an education and successful life that was not full of poverty like how he had grown up in.

All I asking for is my body Part II

Why does Kiyoshi believe Obaban is a substitute for his mom? 

Kiyoshi believing that Obaban is a substitute for this mother has everything to do with their culture and the superstitions that exist and taught in that culture. Kiyoshi’s mother has deep beliefs in the superstitions in her culture that influence her behaviors and decisions in her life. These beliefs are passed along to her children. She has strong beliefs why her life has turned out like it has. “She thinks she’s been chosen for someone else’s punishment”. (23)

This punishment seems to be relieved as another superstition comes into play as her “Hawaiian mother” (22) passes away. Kiyoshi’s mother is thankful that Kiyoshi had retrieved Obaban for a visit and that she was able to see her before the end of her days. She believes that this is a turn in her bad luck she has experienced her whole life. Although Kiyoshi is happy that the bad news was not regarding his mother, he felt guilty since it was about the sroke of Obaban. He then realizes that this event is the substitute for his mother still being alive. It was looked on as a happy event since Obaban was older and it was the more natural thing to happen.