In The Bracelet by Yoshiko Uchida, comparing and contrasting plays a big role in showing the mood of the story. The mood keeps changing between sadness, fear, and hope, and through all these differences and similarities, Yoshijok has tried to make the readers feel what Ruri is going through. The way Ruri thinks about herhome and her new life at the camp like her friendship with Laurie and the way her mother stays strong to help create these feelings.
The comparison between Ruri’s old home and the horse stall they had to live in which is at the camp sets a sad and uncomfortable mood. Ruri’s home was a place filled with love and memories. She talks about her father’s garden, her old toys, andhowher mother cared and loved the house. But in the camp their apartment is very dirty and the horse stall smells bad. This big difference shows how much the family has lost showing how the mood is heavy and emotional. We can almost feel Ruri’s heartbreak as she realizes how different her new life is. The author didn’t use compare and contrast at this part but readers like me would compare them together.
Second is how Ruri thinks about her friendship with Laurie. Laurie gives her a bracelet as a gift saying it will help Ruri remember her. This shows the great connection between them and makes this sad moment warm and full of love. Later, when Ruri loses the bracelet it is sad and feels like she lost Laurie too, because she took her words for granted and promised never to take it off and now it is gone. Her mom makes her see that she doesn't need a bracelet to remember Laurie, and a little hope comes to Ruri. Comparing these moments helps readers feel how important memories and love are, even when life is hard.
The author also uses contrasts to show the strength of Ruri’s mother. While Ruri and her sister feel scared and lost, their mother stays calm and tries to make the best of things. For example, when they first see the dirty horse stall Mama is talking about making curtains and cushions, making it more like home. This gives hope and gives a bit of courage at its saddest moment. The contrast of what the children are feeling from what Mama is doing helps readers build her as a strong, caring person who holds the family together.
At last the mood of the story is shown by the way Ruri compares her life before and after they were sent to the camp. Before she went to school, she had friends, and felt safe in her home. Now she is surrounded by soldiers and barbed wire, living in a place that feels like a prison. This makes the mood serious and really makes us the readers think about how unfair the internment camps were. At the same time, Ruri remembers happy things, like her father's garden and Laurie's kindness, bringing a bit of hope in the story. So in conclusion comparing and contrasting in The Bracelet helps to really show the changing moods of sadness, fear, and hope. It shows emotions through differences in Ruri's home and the camp, through her friendship with Laurie, through the strong will of a mother. Even though this is the most difficult period of the lives of Ruri and her family, the message goes on to say that during those moments memories, love, and family are things which should be in all of us and in our hearts.
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