Context:
➔ Yoshimoto was raised in a progressive, left-wing family, moved in with her boyfriend in
high school
➔ 1980 boom and internalisation in Japan - related to obsession with buying gadgets,
influenced by “shojo” genre – questioning patriarchy and focusing on female’s lead
perspective
➔ questions gender conventions in Yoshimoto’s time through the story’s central
characters.
Analysis:
,,The place I like the best in the world is It is the first sentence of the book. Mikage
kitchen”, “vegetable droppings,” fully loves kitchens because they are places
stocked fridges, imagery where living happens: people cook, clean,
chop, and repeat day in and day out.
“blackness of the cosmos.”, “deathly non-traditional family environment
silent” metaphor of darkness to capture Mikage’s
“hum of refrigerator kept me from thinking suffering
about my loneliness” imagery, metaphor, sleep by the refrigerator because it’s the
1st narrative most lifelike
“Dingdong” onomatopeia Onomatopeia - cheerful sounds,
Yuichi seems to “glow with white light” introducing yuichi into Mikage’s life, light,
symbolism, foreshadowing rescuing her from darkness
Eriko “vibrate[s] with life force.”, Happiness, joy
“marvelous light” Openness to tolerance, unconventional
“like buddhas when they smiled.” family model
(Tanabes) simile, symbolism
“[Eriko] was a man.” - Mikage narrative Openness, tolerance, past tense
“Darkening sky dissapear” “Still-new Moon as a symbol of change, light in the
moon making its gentle way across the darkness,
sky” personification, vivid imagery,
symbolism
“On this dark and solitary path we all Life with only one family member, Mikage
walk, the only way we can light is our experienced loneliness. She knows she
own” symbolism need to become independent but also
“Someday, without fail, everyone will supported
disappear into the blackness of time”
metaphor, symbolism,
“It’s a little bit late for that at your age” Mikage marvels at their cheerfulness.
“They could be this cheerfully normal in Yuichi talking about Eriko’s juicer for
the midst of such extreme abnormality.” beautiful skin.
humour
light in the little room suspended in the Food as nourishment and care, eating
dark night, while eating with Yuichi after a together and becoming closer
dream, symbolism
Dream kitchens. I will have countless Kitchen as a symbol of hope, future.
ones, in my heart or reality. Or in my
travels. Alone, with a crowd of people,
with one other person - in all the many
places I will live. Symbolism, 1st
narrative, chapter separation - only 5
lines, enumeration
“Shocked to find out that this beautiful Lack of acceptance, and society view on
woman was a man.” (stalker) paradox, people who stand out
situational irony, Death and empowerment, control over
“I am beautiful! I am dazzling! If people I fate, knowing the fate. Empowerement by
don’t care for are attracted to me, I accept the letter - she knew she was going to
it as the wages of beauty.” letter, italics die.
“Did he want to cry? Did he want to laugh Mikage’s confusion about Yuichi after
hysterically? Did he want to have a long Eriko’s death. Portrayal of emotional
talk? Did he want to be left alone?” burden but also loneliness in one’s
quaestio experiences
“Heavy shadow of despair descends” Light and darkness, after eriko’s death,
symbolism, metaphor, personification after her light has been “put out”
“Maybe we should go into business, Our As death seems to be around them,
clients could pay us to move in with Yuichi jokes.
people they want dead. We’ll call
ourselves destruction workers” humour
“We stare into bubbling red sea of fire, Environment vs emotions → how life felt
and the air hitting our faces is so hot it to Mikage
makes us reel” imagery, 1st narrative
in the light-flooded kitchen. In Mikage’s work, career development
and satisfaction
Eriko “thrillingly beautiful” while watering Caring for life, creating smth new after her
plants vs “pineapple tree” symbolism wife passed away
“Delicate hands” of Eriko “thrillingly gender
beautiful” characterisation
Chica who made Mikage feel “manly”
“The moon shone down from high above” When Mikage decides to drive to the inn
symbolism to meet Yuichi
“Truly happy memories always live on, Mikage’s thoughts at the end
shining.” narrative
“Manly.” “smash a truck against the wall gender
with [his] bare hands” irony, humour,
hyperbole
Aim of kitchen: portraying vulnerability of human relations and difficulty of grief, showing
that there’s hope in sadness and criticizing society for its restrictions that fueled part of
the plot while rejection of societal conventions was what helped overcome the grief,