The Brown House Hisaye Yamamoto Summary

    The Brown House is a short story by Hisaye Yamamoto, a Japanese American writer who is known for her stories about the experiences of Japanese Americans in the 20th century. The story was first published in 1951 and is part of her collection Seventeen Syllables and Other Stories. The story explores the themes of immigration, gambling, racism, domestic violence, and family dynamics among the Japanese American community during the post-World War II era.

    Plot Summary

    The story follows the Hattori family, a Japanese American family of seven who live in California and work as strawberry pickers. The father, Mr. Hattori, is dissatisfied with his low income and decides to try his luck at a gambling den run by a Chinese family in a nearby town. The gambling den is located in a large brown house with an old barn and a few acres of asparagus. Mr. Hattori takes his wife and five sons to visit the house one afternoon, promising to stay only for a short while. However, he ends up losing all his money and does not come out until dark. His wife, Mrs. Hattori, is angry and worried, while his sons are hungry and bored.




The Brown House Hisaye Yamamoto Summary