November 11, 2016 - 13:06
An environment is characterized by its society, the area, and all of its inhabitants. All of the characters in All Over Creation by Ruth Ozeki, have very distinct identities that were transformed by many different aspects of their lives. When Yumi was only 14 years old, she left her family to live on her own and find her true self. During her journeys she formed her own identity along with her children’s identities in Hawaii. Her mother, Momoko, found a special connection to nature that allows her to explore her own identity. While the people in one’s life have a very large effect on one’s identity, the biggest factor that form a person’s identity is their environment. The environment is defined by the people in it; and at the same time, people have the ability to create their own environment.
Yumi always felt very constricted by her parents when she was growing up and this forced her to abandon them when she was only 14 years old, in an effort to explore her identity and become the person she wanted to be. The reader is encouraged to believe that Yumi enjoys living in Hawaii the most because this is where she feels at home. Yumi never felt like she fit in with the other people in Idaho. She explains, “That’s what it felt like when I was growing up, like I was a random fruit in a field of genetically identical potatoes” (Ozeki 4). The fact that Yumi looked and acted different than the other people in her community, really labeled her as the “other.” She believed that this society was not made for people like her, and this forced her to change environments for herself. She became overwhelmed by the white racists around her and this did not let her be her true self. This area in Idaho that she lived in is defined by the people who live there. However, she did not want to be defined in this way, so she believed that moving away and joining a new society ad environment was her only option. When she was living in Hawaii, she had the freedom to explore herself and feed off the people around her. Although she still had many struggles while living in Hawaii, it was the best place for her. She could connect with those around her and enjoy herself without pressure from society to be a certain way. She was not a lone fruit anymore, because everyone else was also a unique fruit, not a uniform, white potato.
Along with Yumi, all of her kids also feel most at home in Hawaii where they are free to be themselves, especially her oldest, Phoenix. Yumi has the opposite parenting style as her parents, allowing her children to be very independent and pretty much do whatever they want. Yumi always felt very restricted by her parents and this forced her to leave them. She chooses not to put her children through this same struggle and pressure. Even though they are living in Idaho, Yumi is not pressuring her children in any way, but they feel that their identities are being questioned by the society. They are all of a sudden dropped into this uniform, white society where they are also seen as the “other.” Phoenix describes the way he is treated by the other kids in school, “’You know. Get rid of everybody. Niggers, Japs, queers, wetbacks, hippie scum, whatever’…’What about Ocean? Does she get picked on too?’ Phoenix shook his head. ‘The kids in her class pretty much all like her’” (Ozeki 238). The list of people that Phoenix describes are all seen as different versions of the “other.” The fact that they do not fit in, allows them to be completely mistreated while the white boys get away with it. Phoenix tells Yumi not to worry about Ocean because she has a similar appearance to the others in her class, therefore she is not picked on. This new society for Yumi’s children puts them in a very tough situation because they are used to being free to explore their identities and be unique. However, in this new environment, they are pressured to conform to society. This situation makes Phoenix long to be back in Hawaii, where he is not treated so poorly. He can be himself without being seen as an alien in the crowds of white people. This is something that Yumi struggled a lot with when she was growing up, and she does not want to put her kids through it too. The environment in Idaho was created for potatoes, which represent white people. Therefore, this is not a good situation for Yumi and her children because being surrounded by all of these “potatoes” creates conflict and will inevitably change their identities for the worse.
Momoko’s identity is very strongly influenced by her environment and the nature around her. At the same time, she uses her passion for gardening to connect with those around her, forming another part of her identity in this environment she formed for herself. Her ability to connect with nature, also connects her with other people and her surroundings. Momoko has her own business selling seeds to help others grow food and form similar connections to nature. In letters written back to Momoko, the customers’ say, “’This is the second year we’ve planted your Kyoto Three Feets, and I cannot tell you what pleasure they bring’… ‘My wife and I want to thank you for your heroic efforts to preserve the rich diversity of heirloom tomatoes’” (Ozeki 113). Momoko’s business is much appreciated in her community and it really helps to form her identity. To Lloyd’s disapproval, Momoko is able to form her own connections with others without relying on him for support. Her environment enables her to be who she wants, without the judgements of others in the community. Farming is a hobby that she has been able to hold onto, even in her old age and worsening dementia. This shows the huge impact it made on her life. The environment that she made was based on the connections she made in the community, not just her physical location. In a sense, this is her form of a social environment that she has grown to be very proud of.
Society as a whole and the environment that one grows up in, shapes one’s identity in a very obvious way. At the same time, people can influence their surroundings and create completely new environments. Yumi was always seen as an outsider in her community because she was not white. Moving back to Idaho, her children feel this same sense of loneliness in that same community. This environment is defined by the society that lives there, creating and uncomfortable position for any type of outsider. Oppositely, Momoko defined her own society and sense of environment and community. The freedom and independence that nature gives Momoko enables her to be herself and form connections with others in her environment. When defining a person and their environment, it is a two-way street. Environment is formed by the people in it, while people form environments.
Sources:
Ozeki, Ruth L. All over Creation. New York: Penguin, 2004. Print.