This Light Between Us: A Novel of World War II

Fukuda uses Alex and Charlie’s letters to compare the parallels in the persecution of Japanese Americans after Pearl Harbor and of French Jews during the Nazi occupation of France. What similar conditions do Charlie and Alex face in the novel? How does it impact their view of their home countries?

Persecution brings a great sense of shame to the persecuted. How is the theme of shame expressed in This Light Between Us? How do Alex, Charlie, and Frank respond to the shame they feel? Discuss at least three examples from the text.

Alex teaches Charlie how to make a floating paper lantern in one of his letters. At what points in the novel does this lantern appear, and what abstract ideas does it symbolize in each instance? Frame your discussion around at least two instances of this symbol and compare and contrast the effects of its appearance in each scene.

The Sinti magic paper is the one element of r fantasy in the novel, and it is the only means by which Alex and Charlie ever meet. Examine the situations where Charlie or Alex is “summoned” by the paper. How does Fukuda use strategic details to imply an entire “lost narrative” about what is happening to Charlie over the years?

Alex and Charlie refer to the metaphor of a frog leaping out of boiling water in their letters. In what ways do Frank, Alex, and Charlie represent different versions of the frog in the metaphor? Use key examples from the text to support your argument.

Examine the conflict between the “Kotonks” and the “Buddhaheads” during Alex’s time in bootcamp. What initially sets them against each other, and what brings these disparate groups of Japanese Americans together? How is their conflict a representation of the larger, more dire issues of racism that pervade the novel as a whole, and what do their interactions imply about how such issues might ultimately be resolved on a macrocosmic scale?

Explore the topic of patriotism in This Light Between Us. How does Alex’s view of patriotism evolve throughout the novel, and how does Charlie’s love for her city and country remain even after the persecution she has faced as a French Jew?

Alex’s experiences in the army as part of the decorated 442nd Regiment place him in many important battles throughout Europe. Examine the historic exploits of the real-life 442nd Regiment. What do their accomplishments say about their involvement in World War II and America’s treatment of nisei individuals?