Journal Entry 64: Camp Harmony

Monica Sone, the author of “Camp Harmony,” says her camp “was hopefully called Camp Harmony” (p. 470). What does “harmony” mean? Do you think the name is appropriate? Why do you think Sone used the adjective “hopefully” to describe the name? If you had to give the camp a name, what would you call it? Why?

Harmony can have two meanings. One is about music, and it's basically notes played at the same time that sounds nice and pleasing. The other meaning is basically just things that go well together and is pleasant. According to Dictionary.com, harmony means agreement, accord; a consistent, orderly, or pleasing arrangements of parts; congruity; simultaneous combination of tones; agreement; accord; harmonious relations; or an arrangement of the contents of the Gospels, either of allfour or of the first three, designed to show their parallelism,mutual relations, and differences. I don't think the name of Camp Harmony was appropriate at all, because it is seriously an awful, awful place. It's cheap and it's just there because of racism. Plus, those Japanese were forced to live there, so it's not really "pleasant". That place even has barbed wired fences to keep them in! I think Sone used the adjective "hopefully" because the camp is really awfully, and it's hopefully named Camp Harmony even though it's not harmonious at all. The people that named the camp probably also "hope" the Japanese living there will behave and believe it's really a pleasant and awesome place. If I could name the camp, I'd name it Camp Awful, because I'm a straightforward person and the camp is just simply awful.