Chapter three of “The Tattoo” delves into an extremely dark and sinister portion of the novel. The main character, Ken, has moved across the island to Honolulu to begin a new life. After first trying to attend college courses, he finds himself restless- “Suddenly, I found my life very boring and tedious…I began to long for something real, something threatening, something that made me feel alive again (pg. 99).” It doesn’t take him long to find the trouble that he is apparently seeking. He finds himself caught up in the underworld of Honolulu- bars and strip clubs, drugs, and many illegal activities become the norm. Given Ken’s built-up anger, past, and outlook on life, he finds himself adapting to this new sub-culture with ease. However, things begin to change as he falls in love with Claudia, daughter of Mama-San who is owner of the strip club that now employs him. Claudia is a different race than Ken; half Caucasian and half Korean. She is in school and pretty much keeps herself separated from the dark underworld of her mother. Their love affair complicates things for Ken, ultimately leading a pregnant Claudia and terrified Ken’s unofficial exile from the city.
The dominant themes of crime and racism continue to seep from every page of the novel. In addition to these, there are concepts regarding dominant-minority relations that become quite prevalent, such as those of avoidance, deviance, and even a deeper insight into the in-group and out-group perceptions of Ken and the other characters. To explain these concepts, we must first examine the idea of ethnic-group identity, especially in Ken, who emulates this phenomenon. “Ethnic-group identity exists when individuals choose to emphasize cultural or national ties as the basis of their primary social interactions and sense of self (Parrillo, pg. 122).” This statement seems to describe much of Ken’s personality and behavior. He feels that his sense of self is based on the fact that he is Japanese and living in Hawaii. Almost as if this creates who he has to be. Parrillo further goes on to explain that, within this thinking, there are actually two self identities; the one that is a part of society as a whole as well as the identity of one within their own group (pg. 122). This idea bears a striking resemblance to the end of the chapter when Claudia and Ken are discussing moving to the mainland: “There was no way I was going to the fucking mainland…..a world full of people I can’t relate to….How many haole asses would I have to kick before I got any respect up there?” “Here, I’m somebody; here, I’m respected. Up there, I’m just a Jap….they’ll make me invisible… (pg. 149-150).” He feels as if he would have a completely different identity on the mainland- where he would be the out-group, rather than the in-group.
After looking at Ken’s ethnic-group identity, we can better understand the ideas of avoidance and deviance, and how they relate to his character. Ken’s idea of the mainland and his unwillingness to travel there (for fear of being a minority who has no place and cannot relate) is his personal avoidance of assimilation and cross-cultural relations. Although he may not be demonstrating avoidance in the traditional sense of being in a minority community among the majority of the mainland, it is avoidance nonetheless.
Deviance and crime are almost describing words for Ken in many parts of his life. Although sometimes it may seem as though his behavior is due to ignorance and poor judgment, there are clear indicators that some of his actions are fueled by things such as hatred for the majority and anger over his personal situation. On top of this, he has learned that who he is “supposed” to be as someone who is mean and tough, as this is the only way he will get respect (an issue of not only minorities, but also masculinity). This conditioning fuels his deviant behavior, leading to the cycle of fulfilling a negative stereotype.
As far as personally relating to this novel, in many ways it is difficult. Ken and the other characters in the story lead a life much different than my own. That being said, the one thing that I think most people can understand, either personally or through someone they know, has to do with this idea of a sub-culture. Ken lives in a world within a world. In other words, this lifestyle of drugs and hookers and crime is known to exist by those around him, yet many of them are never really exposed to it. The same is true for many people addicted to drugs or who have spent time in prison. I have both family and friends that have experienced both, which has exposed me to some of this dark world that so many people are oblivious to. When you see someone who is hooked on drugs, their life is only in dealing with drug dealers and others on drugs, often spending large amounts of time on getting them, even if it takes committing a crime. This, in turn, exposes them to things that are not typically seen by the “normal” population on a regular basis. The same is true for someone who is in prison (which can be seen with Cal and Ken in the novel). Although people know that prisons exist, few know what life is really like in the prison world. It is a complete sub-culture within society. These may be two more extreme examples of a sub-culture in society; however, there are many types. It goes hand in hand with in-groups and out-groups. The world as it is to one is completely different to another.
The concepts and themes throughout “The Tattoo” are only part of the story’s intrigue. It is a novel that is interesting and exciting, leaving you curious what will happen next. I am anticipating the final chapter as these character’s lives unfold. It is truly a great read.
Works Cited
McKinney, Chris. The Tattoo. Honolulu: Mutual, 1999. Print.
Parrillo, Vincent N. Understanding Race and Ethnic Relations. Boston: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon, 2008. Print.
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