World War II is prominent in the final section of the book. Through the context of war, we learn more about the characters and the themes in the novel.
The War is used to show how the family is becoming more Canadian. This is especially true of the oldest son, Kiam. A number of times Kiam says he wants to fight for the Canadian Army. Yet, this is contrasted by the arguments of the father:
"When The Dominion says we are Canadian, then we will all join up!"
This is an important section because it shows how Canada still struggled to accept Chinese people as citizens.
World War II is most prominent in the story of Sekky, the youngest child. He is constantly playing war games, where he mimics the attacks of the Allies on the Japanese.
The War also shows us the relationship between the Chinese and the Japanese. As Japan attacked China, the Chinese and Japanese in Canada struggled to live side by side in Vancouver. In the novel, this played out through the story of Meiying, a Chinese teenager who falls in love with a Japanese boy.
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