1. The main characters in "Picture Bride" are Hana Omiya and Taro Takeda. They were like a blind couple because they never meet and know each other before. Hana only receive a photograph of her husband Taro and heard a little prosperity about Taro. She arrive to San Francisco, California in 1917 until 1900s brought them together to this blind marriage. Hana was courages because many people didn’t prepared and afraid of the challenges that they will faced after moving to a foreign country, but as a lady, she was challenging herself and fight against obstacles. Taro Takeda was an Oakland shopkeeper and he also saw her wife only on the photograph. Taro was reliable because he didn’t panic when he meet difficulties and give the best protection to Hana. Many Japanese immigrant to America hoping for a wealthy life, buy a house and having a lovely marriage. Hana and Taro were thinking this way, too, but things were just too unrealized. They think of many possibilities of this life but they have watched so many friends die and people were giving up then go back to their native land.

2. The theme of “Picture Bride” is the idea that hopes are often raised, but to be dashed. This is because every dream that Hana Omiya(the main character) has usually lets her down. For instance, Taro Takeda(her husband) is not the way she dreams of him. She dreamed of having a fancier home with Taro, but actually her expectation didn’t became true. Also, when Hana said that she want a baby, Kiyoshi told her to be careful with the flu. Unluckily, when Hana get pregnant, she contracts flu and loses the baby boy. Additionally, Hana thought that America will be a free country, but Taro said they were foreigns from other country so Americans weren’t always welcome them. This surprised Hana that America is totally different than what she thought about it.

3. I can connect myself to Hana Omiya because I also have many similar experiences of hopes are often raised but to be dashed. I begged my dad to buy me a dog for years and he always respond me no. I remember he always said if I get good grades or if I clean the house, then he will buy me a dog. Do you know the feelings of really want something and can do everything even though when you get a tiny hope? I always feel that way, but until one day he finally decide to fulfill my desire. His action make me feel that all of this hardworking is worth it. This teach me that even if hopes will be dashed, you still have the chance to raise it up if you are hardworking.

4.This platform affect my exploration of the novel because it help me analyze each section of the novel. Such as characterization, the development of theme, and my connection/responses throughout the whole story. I'm not just reading the book but at the same time i'm also annotating. This is helpful because usually when people finish reading their books, they forget some information/event in the story. With this platform, I have a better understanding of the events and characters in the story and I can go back to the notes that I annotate to help me remember what's happening throughout the story.

5. My emotion got depressed after reading this book. Everything that Hana goes through make me feel it will happen in real life. As a young girl, she has too much pressure on herself. Her life was all messed up with hardships. At first, she had a blind marriage. Then, risking her live to find her husband with a photograph. Last, she has discovered that everything she had dreamed about America was all fake and gone. Finally, Hana watched many of her friends died from the war. Also because of the arrangement of marriage that Hana's parents and Taro's uncle did, Hana had to move from her peaceful homeland to a country full of war going on. Taro was a farmer so Hana's imagination of being relax was gone. There was a statement in China said "Marry a chicken with chicken, marry a dog with a dog." This means that you are going to comply with who ever you get married. Whether or not they are rich or poor, you follow that person. Hana had marry a person which is poor and that place is dangerous but although Taro is poor he takes good care of Hana. I feel impress when I think of this.