Weedflower

Frank is a Native American boy who lives on the reservation and becomes friends with Sumiko through a series of random meetings in a nearby bean field. He chews gum often and has short hair and muscular shoulders. His family doesn’t have electricity, which suggests that they’re poor. Frank’s behavior toward Sumiko is inconsistent; one moment he’s kind to her, and the next he’s annoyed with her. It seems that he wants to like Sumiko and be her friend but then reminds himself that he’s angry at the Japanese for their presence on the reservation. Frank looks up to his older brother and imitates his behavior, clearly wanting to be like him. He cares deeply about his Mohave culture and the future of his people—and he recognizes that farming on the reservation is a good opportunity for the future.

Frank’s character is a foil for Sumiko. When Sumiko encounters Frank’s prejudice toward her, she recognizes her own prejudice and stereotypes about Native American culture. Sumiko’s honest conversations with Frank teach her that friendship doesn’t mean that two people are the same or that they agree. She learns that being a friend requires sacrifice—like the risk of standing up for him when she knows that the Japanese Americans in the camp are at odds with the Native Americans. Frank is an example of a true friend because he wants what’s best for Sumiko’s future—even when it means letting her go. He believes in her dream of opening a flower shop even when she has lost hope of it becoming a reality. Frank contributes to Sumiko’s coming of age, and Kadohata hints that he has a romantic interest in her. He thinks she’s beautiful and looks at her often even when he talks to Tak-Tak. Through Frank’s romantic interest, Kadohata shows that Sumiko is growing up.

Sumiko’s 19-year-old cousin, Bull is stocky and doesn’t spend time thinking about his clothing or unruly hair. He’s completely dedicated to taking care of the flowers and has a genuine love for farming. Despite his strong and serious exterior, he’s kind and tender toward Tak-Tak and Sumiko. He’s an older-brother figure for Sumiko, looking out for her, giving her advice, and comforting her when she’s sad. He remains calm about war-related controversies and talks about accepting change and learning from suffering. Bull bravely volunteers for the all-Nikkei combat team, suggesting he doesn’t harbor resentment toward the US government despite the suffering they’ve caused for so many. Sumiko looks up to Bull and learns from his attitude of acceptance and his kind and calm nature. Other than Tak-Tak, Bull is the family member with whom Sumiko is closest.

Twenty-three-year-old Ichiro is a foil for his brother, Bull. He’s tall, lean, and graceful in his movements. Ichiro spends money on nice clothes and takes time in front of the mirror fixing his hair before he takes a girl out on a date. He expresses his feelings about the war differently than Bull. He’s the family’s news source about the war and often is angry about the injustice his people face. Although he too volunteers for the Japanese American combat team, he doesn’t do so as readily as Bull. Ichiro is kind to Sumiko and Tak-Tak but isn’t particularly close to either of them, and he doesn’t share Bull’s passion for farming.

Tak-Tak is Sumiko’s younger brother. Their parents died when he was a baby, so—unlike Sumiko—he doesn’t remember them. Tak-Tak loves animals of all kinds, especially the family horse, Baba. He wears glasses and has pet crickets. Tak-Tak takes cues from the adults in the family about what’s happening and often expresses the fears that everyone else is feeling but hides. He occasionally accompanies Sumiko to the bean field and helps ease some of the initial tension between Sumiko and Frank. Tak-Tak’s character serves to reveal Sumiko’s responsible and hard-working nature. She takes care of him and is a loving older sister, making sure that he stays safe and out of trouble during all the changes the family must navigate.

Jiichan is Sumiko’s grandfather and the oldest member of the household. Looking at his lean, lined face, Sumiko has a hard time discerning when he’s joking because he wears a permanent scowl. Jiichan is a first-generation Japanese immigrant, which leads to his arrest after the Pearl Harbor attack. He’s the reason that Sumiko was born in the US, and Sumiko realizes that this fact demonstrates that he loved her and wanted a good life for her even before she was born. Jiichan’s English is imperfect, but he’s honest and direct when he speaks. He often recognizes things about Sumiko that she doesn’t know about herself, even when they’re apart and communicating by letter. As the oldest family member, Jiichan enjoys special privileges according to Japanese culture. The family shows honor and respect by letting him bathe first and waiting until he has finished eating to leave the dinner table. Jiichan worries about Sumiko attending Marsha’s birthday party and anticipates that she may not be wanted there. His accurate foresight suggests that he likely has experienced racism and doesn’t want Sumiko to be subjected to the same sense of rejection. Jiichan’s character provides comic relief in the novel as he makes humorous or sarcastic comments or demonstrates unusual habits like carrying on conversations with family members from the outhouse. 

Auntie is a strict and authoritative figure in Sumiko’s life. She rarely shows affection, which makes her kind words to Sumiko at the novel’s conclusion stand out. She understandably has a difficult time adapting to camp life and being without her husband, and Sumiko notices that she’s uncharacteristically lazy and detached when they first arrive at camp. However, she soon finds a sewing club to fill her time and by the end of the novel seems to have regained strength and a sense of independence. She surprises Sumiko when she announces that she found a job outside the camp and they’ll be moving to Chicago. Auntie’s experiences throughout the novel show the difficulties that wives and mothers faced, especially those whose husbands were arrested. Although the changes bring her to a low point, she eventually gains strength.