Abstract
?A Boy' has written an autobiographical novel. In this novel, A Boy called ?H' ?A Childhood in Wartime Japan.' Kappa Senoh describes his life as a young boy who grew up in the port city of Kobe, Japan. This coming-of-age story takes place between 1937 and the post-war of the U.S. occupation in Japan. The story is written from the eyes and thoughts of a third person who is the narrator and this story a seven year old boy called ?H.' The reader observes the Japanese road to war in the 1930s and views a complete picture of a society witnessing war at large. The author portrays the lifestyle in Kobe and its impact when it was profoundly affected by the war with China. The impact worsens when the war with the United States is declared. The author gives us the image of a society influenced by authoritarianism, nationalism and violence. Further, it depicts a society in which patriotic songs and heroic stories could barely hide the terrible reality of a wartime life filled with fear, blood and tears.
