Burnt Shadows

Hiroko Tanaka is Shamsie’s primary protagonist and the only character to appear in each of the novel’s four parts. Hiroko’s individual journey traces the tragic narrative arc through the novel and provides continuity across geography and generations as Shamsie seeks to connect forces of nationalism from 1945 Nagasaki to Afghanistan in 2001. Hiroko struggles to define herself outside of her traumatic experiences at Nagasaki, just as international relations seem to struggle to develop beyond nationalist foreign policies after World War II, and Hiroko literally embodies this connection between the political and the personal via her bird-shaped scars.

Hiroko’s love of languages is directly related to her deep cultural sensitivity and ability to connect with others across various kinds of difference. In contrast to her son, Raza, Hiroko does not seek to transform herself to meet various cultural expectations but instead uses her understanding of cultural expectations to help her find common ground with others without compromising her own values. Hiroko has the greatest difficulty in her relationships with wealthy white Americans and British people, and her impatience for privilege reinforces the novel’s insistence on centering the dignity and humanity of those most adversely affected by the decisions of those in positions of power.