A Family Supper

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A Family Supper

Settings

Children are distanced from cultural customs

Father and the mother come from a traditional standpoint

California

Narrator moves to California after mothers death

Time

Post WWII

End of the twentieth century

Japan

Osaka

Kikuko goes to Osaka University

Home

Room with Battleship

Symbolizes fathers involvement in war

Infused with strictness and tradition

Tokyo

Garden

Well

Gothic Symbolism

Haunted

Ominous atmosphere

Mysterious

Kamakura district

A military dictatorship

Themes

Tradition and Herritage

Significant to Japanese culture

Family Supper

Stereotypes

Gender Roles

Women tend to children and the home

Men work

Father works at a business firm

Death

Eating Fugu

Mothers death

White

Purity

Changing the state of one's soul

Symbolizes the death of a past soul

Mother found roaming near well

Afterlife

Spiritual form

Detachment

Speaks little his father years after the death of his mother

Differences in attitude

Awkward timid interactions with her father

Speaks with emotion to brother

Keeps secrets from family

Plans of moving to the United States

Speaks little to the son

Did not inquire about sons decision

Wanted son to say with him

Identity

Generational divide

After firm collapse lived in disgraced

Killed himself due to the struggles of living in disgrace

Wanted to succeed an live with honour

Mother and Father

Forced concepts of tradition on children

Led to the rejected of cultural values

Business firm fell

Symbolizes the fall of tradition

Modern

Moved away from Japan

Grew up absent to cultural values

Smokes

Uncommon from traditional concepts

Wants to move away from Japan

Depicted by the Father

Reflects on his past experiences

Wanting to join the Air Force

Business firm

Time in navy

Wishes he raised his children to support one another

Left Japan abruptly after mothers death

Spent time by himself

Kikuko left to pursue academic success in another city

Son left to America

Characterization

Watanabe

Suicidal

Killed family because of disgrace

Considered a 'nobel' man

Kikuko

Smoked in secret

Unsure

Reassuring

Emotional

Adventurous

Mother

Humble

Ate 'Fugu' for well respected friend

Leading cause to her death

Father

Physical

Large jaw line

"Furious black eyebrows"

Formidable looking

Resembled a politician

Chou En-lai

Traditional

Respected

Lonely

Depressed

Narrator

Social

Contradictory

Grieved

Independent

Uncustomary

Conflicts

Man vs Self

Watanabe vs Self

Could not face himself in disgrace

Lost his honour as a man

Kikuko vs Self

Self-inflicted habits from smoking

Unsure if leaving the country is a good idea

Father vs Self

Failure as a businessman

Business partner died

Closing of business firm

Depression

Grief

Death of Wife

Loneliness

Son lives in the United States

Kikuko goes to university in another city

Regrets his choices as a parent

Choices regarding his daughter

Daughter is going to leave the house and country

Choices regarding his son

Wanted to spend time

Couldn't due to business ventures

Narrator vs Self

Lost cause in America

Recently broke up with girlfriend (Vicki)

Grieving over mothers death

Does not publicly show his deeper emotions

Conflicted with the future

Debates whether or not he should Go back to USA or stay in Japan

Man vs Society

Watanabe vs Society

Harakiri

Killed himself and family due to the lack of honour

Ashamed to face society

Considered disgracefully to society

Kikuko vs Society

Subjected to gender roles

Expected to perform domestic duties

Expected to tend her fathers house

Man vs Man

Kikuko vs Father

Hiding smoking habits from father

Hiding her plans to leave the house

Was expected to tend her fathers house

Father vs Son

Clash of mentalities

Modern vs Traditional

Subtopic

Lack of communication