However, she does have a pragmatic and mature approach to dealing with her grief, one that allows her to go on living. Mikage isn't perfect, and she doesn't bounce back immediately after a death. What are Mikage's strategies for coping with death? The two of them have forged a connection in a world in which such connections are tenuous, and that is not something they can ignore. After he suffers his own loss, Mikage is drawn to him because she knows exactly how he feels and what he needs.
He supports her cooking interest and never tries to make her into something she is not. He offers a home and a family when she does not have one, and he accepts her grief over her grandmother. Now more attuned to her own needs, she realizes that Yuichi's aloofness, generosity, and cerebral nature suit her much better. Mikage dated a charismatic, energetic young man before her grandmother's death, but his "robustness" made her feel bad about herself. In particular, what draws Mikage to Yuichi? In Mikage’s 'family' of Yuichi and Eriko, Mikage can be neither 'sister' nor 'daughter.' The family is 'assembled' just as Mikage is 'found.' Blood ties and genealogy are less important than circumstance and simple human affinity."Īnalyze the relationship between Mikage and Yuichi. Critic John Whittier Treat explains, "The complement to the mythical or lost family is the unconventional-the so-called 'dysfunctional'-family, of which there is a plenitude in Yoshimoto Banana. This contributes to the narrative's message regarding families, and how, in contemporary Japan, "family" doesn't always refer to the people you are connected to by blood. What is the narrative impact of Eriko being a trans woman?Įriko could have simply been a mother who was born female and thus more traditional, but Yoshimoto decided to make Eriko a trans woman instead. Though the rituals and cultural elements of religion may still permeate contemporary Japan, the characters do not rely on the gods for help-a fact that is both daunting and empowering. Mikage says frankly, "For having been granted such a warm bed after finding myself in the direst straits, I thanked the gods-whether they existed or not-with all my heart" (22).
When Chika is bemoaning Eriko's death, she says, "Why do things like this have to happen? I can't believe in the gods" (86). The story alludes to gods several times, but they do not offer any succor or relief. Yoshimoto is writing this novel in 1987, and it is clearly representative of a more secular era.
How do the characters of this world relate to religion and spirituality?
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