ABSTRACT
As one of the earliest Japanese-American women writers emerging from World War II to be published in mainstream journals, Hisaye Yamamoto must have felt her share of anxiety of authorship both as a woman author and as a member of a recently condemned racial minority. Though seldom would she come out directly to condemn racial injustice inflicted on minorities or denounce unspoken oppression suffered by women within Japanese patriarchy, Yamamoto invariably gives voice to characters who have thus far been violated and silenced. The repression of women in its various disguises becomes a key concern in several of Yamamoto's major stories, and her compassionate treatment of the plight of these women provides a rare insight into the continuous struggles of women across ethnic and cultural boundaries. Both Tome Hayashi and Mari Sasagawara are passionate women who refuse to adhere to the traditional roles for women and remain submissive.
