Finals: A Question of Loyalty

Question 1

A question of loyalty was written by

Answer 1

Mitsuye Yamada

Question 2

What is the context of the poem? What was going on that time?

Answer 2

WW1

Question 3

What does the term “alien” mean in the poem?

Answer 3

The speaker is not a native of the country she’s currently in

Question 4

What is “alien registration”?

Answer 4

It is an identifying number given to certain aliens or foreigners, like those who are applying for a change in status.

Question 5

What was the other requirement for the speaker to not be considered an alien?

Answer 5

forswear allegiance to the emperor

Question 6

How did the speaker react to that requirement?

Answer 6

She was fine with it because she hardly knew who the emperor was.

Question 7

Explain

“I was poorat math.I signedmy only ticket out”

Answer 7

Saying “I was poor at math” breaks the Asian stereotype that all Asians are good at math
The speaker forswore her allegiance to the emperor

Question 8

Why is the title “The Question of Loyalty”?

Answer 8

The speaker was asked to renounce her allegiance to the emperor who was a symbol of their people, of their identity, of their country
But she also has a family to be loyal to, her “American children”