Chapter 1
The narrator of this novel is Etsuko, who is the main character. The first chapter of this novel begins with Etsuko visiting with her daughter Niki. Niki lives in London and is living with a young man. Etsuko does not understand why she is living with another man instead of getting married. This chapter also brings in Etsuko and her drifting off to the past with the suicide of her daughter Keiko. Keiko was a Japanese girl, while Etsuko's other daughter Niki was English from her second husband. This chapter also discusses Keiko's room and how it is closed and ghostly. Etsuko dreams about her past in Nagasaki and creates blame for herself for leaving and putting Keiko in a hard environment to grow up in (pg. 9-22).
Chapter 2
This chapter discusses the introduction to Sachiko and Mariko. Etsuko notices the differences between Sachiko and the relationship between her and other mothers. Etsuko is pregnant at this time and does not know what it is going to be like to be a mother, but she is concerned that there something wrong with the way that Sachiko treats her daughter Mariko. Sachiko and Mariko are not like the other families that live in the area. Sachiko is not married, and during this era is highly irregular. Etsuko's concern for Mariko leads to a friendship with Sachiko. This friendship in the beginning can be seen as a way for Etsuko to keep an eye on Mariko since Sachiko doesn't seem bothered by her daughter's whereabouts.
Etsuko's father in law Ogata-San has stopped to stay with Etsuko and her husband Jiro. Jiro is always at work and never has time for his father. Etsuko demonstrates that she likes Ogata-San more than her own husband. Jiro and his father don't communicate very well. Ogata-San tries to get Jiro to write a letter to Shigeo Matsueda for his article that was seen as very offensive to Ogata-San. Ogata-San worked very hard as a teacher, but believed differently about the government and teaching compared to Shigeo Matsueda. Jiro works a lot and spends what little time he has at home reading the paper and ordering Etsuko to fetch items for him and his father (pg 23-40).
Questions from United World College (UWCSEA):
1. "What is Ogata's problem with Shigeo Matsueda and Dr. Endo? How does this conflict point to a political dimension in the novel?"
2. "What does this passage tell us about Etsuko's life before the marriage? Comment on reasons for Keiko's name?"
3. "Having read the first two chapters what do you think is the age gab between Etsuko and Sachiko" (pg. 1)?
Chapter 3
This chapter brings into discussion the memory of Etsuko. She does not forget her life in Japan, but it gets hazy for her in a way of escape. She does not want to remember the war or her marriage with Jiro. The more she remembers the more clear her memories are of her daughter Keiko. A theme of a haunted house is brought up by Ishiguro. Niki finds her sisters room as haunted and she can't sleep at her mother's house. Mariko would talk about the haunted house across from the river of her mother's cottage. Sachiko would dismiss her daughter and tell Etsuko that she was making up stories. Mariko was alienated from her mother by her wanting to leave Japan with an English man. Mariko did not want to leave and wanted to stay with her kittens. Keiko suffered the same problems as Mariko in that her mother moved away from Japan. Keiko's mother married an English man, moved to England, and had another daughter who was English.
In this chapter, Sachiko explains to Etsuko the reasoning behind her leaving Japan. Sachiko does not want to live in Japan anymore, and wants to leave with a man who promises to take her to America.
Another theme that was brought up in this chapter was the one describing motherhood. Niki does not want to have children. Etsuko voices her concern that she should be married and have a family. But Etsuko knows what it is like to be a mother and be married to a man that may not treat her so well. Etsuko left Jiro in Japan and moved to England to be remarried. Sachiko was a single mother and never seemed bothered to be widowed. All she wanted was a way to get to the United States. She knew she would have to use a man to get there.
This novel is not full of facts. The reader must put together information and figure out events on their own. Etsuko goes from a traditional Japanese housewife and switches to a middle class woman in England with her new husband Mr. Sheringham. Etsuko does not speak English in Japan, but when in England she now speaks fluent English. This is just one example of how the novel switches from world to another (pg. 41-55).
Questions from
UWCSEA:
1. "What is the significance of Etsuko's statement at the beginning of the chapter 'It is possible that my memory of events will have grown hazy with time' "?
2. "Sachiko gives Etsuko a long self-righteous justification for wanting to emigrate to the USA. Discuss both her reasoning and her suppressed sense of guilt. How does Ishiguro use irony to make the reader skeptical of Sachiko's grandiose plans"?
3. "In what ways does the author contrast Niki's attitude towards motherhood with those of her mother. To what extent do Niki's views echo those of both Etsuko and Sachiko" (pg. 2-4)?
Chapter 4
This chapter discusses the theme of music. Niki does not want to learn to play the piano when they live in England. The image of music is also displayed when Etsuko refuses to play the violin for Ogata-San. This is symbolic of Etsuko's, now Mrs. Sheringham, and her not wanting to remember the past.
The game of chess represents the poor communication between Ogata-San and Jiro. Ogata-San uses this game of chess to keep reminding his son to write a letter to Shigeo Matsuda. Ogata-San was a supporter of Japanese nationalism and very opposed to the Americanization of the Japanese society. Jiro does not seem to care one way or the other. He tries to avoid his father and stay busy at work. Ogata-San does not see the consequences to the Japanese nationalism and the bomb that hit Nagasaki by the Americans. He feels that this belief should have been maintained and notices how it is leaving the Japanese culture. Ogata-San does not understand why his son Jiro is not more upset about the way Japan is changing (pg. 56-67).
Questions from
UWCSEA:
1. "If Jiro is a representative of a new Japan, what are the reasons for his sullen behavior towards his father"?
2, "What does the conversation with Jiro's drunken colleagues reveal about sexist attitudes in society at that time? What does the conversation reveal about the relationship between husband and wife? How does this scene help us to understand Etsuko's departure from Japan? There is also a strong hint that the scene is linked to Niki's view's on marriage" (pg. 5 &6).
Chapter 5
This chapter discusses Frank-San who is supposed to be taking Sachiko to America. He is not described as a nice man, but then Sachiko wants to get to America. Sachiko packs up the house and gets ready to leave because Frank is supposedly coming to get her. He never shows up, which describes the way some men treated women in Japan. Sachiko had quit her job at the noodle shop and now needed to borrow money from Etsuko because she was not going to go back. This scene where Etsuko uncovers money that she has saved shows how she knew she needed a way to get out of the marriage if she had too. Her husband knew nothing of this secret place where she kept her money. The relationship between Etsuko and Jiro was not well and Etsuko was perfectly aware of this. Before the bomb and becoming pregnant, Etsuko probably had intensions of leaving her husband Jiro.
Mariko is described in the novel as a damaged young girl. Sachiko explains to Etsuko that she saw a mother in Tokyo drown her child. Mariko takes on a mothering role with her kittens. She wants to take them with her when they leave, but Sachiko explains she does not know how that is going to work (pg. 68-82).
Questions from UWCSEA:
1. "From the conversation between Sachiko and Etsuko what do we learn about Frank-San and Sachiko's relationship with him? Compare also the women's contrasting attitudes to Frank and the situation created by his disappearance".
2. "During the bombing of Tokyo, Mariko sees a woman drown her own baby. What would have been the psychological damage caused by her witnessing this terrible event"?
3. During the scene between the kittens and the spider, "Etsuko's reaction to the child undergoes a shift from concern to horror and disgust. Explain Etsuko's changing position. How do the kittens and the spider play a role in this transition" (pg. 7 & 8)?
Chapter 6
The rope is used in this chapter as Mariko tries to save a kitten. There are many similarities between Keiko and Mariko. They are both unwanted. Keiko is moved to a place that is not her home. Mariko is with a mother that wants to move to America and it would be easier to get there without a child. Keiko has a sister and a father who are not like her. She is thrown into a different culture. Mariko has a mother who was not stable, and is more concerned about herself instead of her own daughter.
This chapter also discusses the conversation between Niki and her mother about the role of women in modern society. Even though Etsuko moves to England, she realizes that this move may have been selfish and sacrificed the life of her daughter Keiko. Niki lives a life of a very modern women. Etsuko tries to tell her the prices that she had to pay to live that life.
This chapter describes the presence of Keiko in Etsuko's house. Etsuko and Niki both don't sleep well. Etsuko has her dreams of the past and Niki doesn't sleep at all because of Keiko's room that seems haunted (pg. 83-96).
Questions from
UWCSEA:
1. "What is the significance of Mariko's remark 'You were making a strange face just now' ".
2. In this chapter, Sachiko "produces a set of arguments against the move to the USA. What is her reasoning? How does this scene compare to the similar one in Chapter 3"?
3. "Niki's attitude is in marked contrast to her mother's. Discuss and illustrate. Do Niki's comments have an echo elsewhere in the text"?
4. What evidence is there that Etsuko and Niki "are disturbed by Keiko's 'presence' in the house' "?
5. At the end of part 1 Ishiguro has brought three characters together in the story: "Keiko, Mariko and the girl on the swing. What is the effect of this juxtaposition" (pg. 9 & 10).
Chapter 7
This is the second part of the novel. The novel goes back to the wasteland and the images of the cracks in the wasteland. These images portray the crack in the people when they were bombed and the effect it had on their society.
This chapter discusses the trip to Inasa and the cable cars to the top. This view is very different from where they live in Nagasaki. This area at the top of the hill is seen as almost imaginary. It is beautiful and peaceful. Mariko is having fun besides her spat with Akira. This is a key chapter in the book showing the pale view of the hills, as they look down on the destroyed town of Nagasaki.
There is also the discussion of what women did after the bombing. The book brought up Mrs. Fujiwara who opened her own noodle shop because her husband died. Mrs. Fujiwara had a son whom she supported. When she lost her husband in the war, she lost her livelihood and had to start her own business to survive.
Another scene is when Etsuko, Sachiko and Mariko go to Kujibiki for the day. Mariko tries to win a basket to save the kittens. Sachiko has no intention of keeping the kittens, but Mariko tries so hard to show her mom how it can work (pg. 99-125).
Questions from
UWCSEA:
1. "How does the knowledge of the child murders increase our disquiet concern of Sachiko's neglect of her daughter"?
2. "Describe Sachiko's relationship with her uncle by marriage and his daughter, Yasuko? Are there any parallels here between Sachiko and her uncle and Etsuko and Ogata-San"?
3. There are different images on the journey to the top of Inasa in the cable cars. "Are there any suggestions here of entering a dream-like state. If so what does it suggest"?
4. In the town called Kujibiki, Mariko is trying to win a basket for the kittens. How does this relate to the modernization program (pg. 11-13)?
Chapter 8
This chapter brings up the game of chess between Jiro and Ogata-San. Ogata-San seems to be winning the game, but Jiro is not interested in what he has to say. Ogata-San wants Jiro to listen to him and hear what he has to say. Ogata-San feels his son has let America change his life. He wants his son to believe like he does because he feels it is a better way. Jiro doesn't listen to his father, nor does he say what he really thinks of his fathers' politics.
The statue in the Peace Park is a big irritation to Etsuko. This is a constant reminder of the atomic bomb (pg. 126-143).
Questions from
UWCSEA:
1. "Etsuko's father-in-law also comments on his son's childish behavior. How might this be connected with Akira from the previous chapter"?
2. "Etsuko is very critical of the Peace Park Statue. Why"?
3. "Etsuko teases Ogata-San about his girl-friend; 'he used the English word'. Comment".
4. "What are we to make of Ogata's sudden consideration for Etsuko's pregnant condition? What is also unusual about Shigeo Matsuda's appearance" (pg. 14 & 15)?
Chapter 9
Chapter 9 is the confrontation between Ogata-San and Shigeo Matsuda. Ogata-San decides to confront Shigeo Matsuda about what his article portrayed about him and another professor. Ogata-San really believed what he was teaching was the best for Japan. Their conversation did not go anywhere. Ogata-San asked simple questions of Shigeo Matsuda and he would reply by saying his lunch was over and he wished he had more time. At the end of the conversation, Shigeo Matsuda comes out and tells him that he is not sorry and doesn't agree with Ogata-San. Shigeo states "you should not be blamed for not realizing the true consequences of your actions. Very few men could see where it was all leading"? Shigeo points out that he could have been a victim instead of a villain. Even Mrs. Fujiwara does not blame Ogata-San for the destruction of Japan. Ogata-San still maintains his dignity that he knows what is best for Japan. The characters do not come out and say it was his fault for the bombing. Ishiguro portrayal is unsympathetic toward this character (pg. 144-157).
Questions from
UWCSEA:
1. How does Ishiguro achieve the dreamlike state that Etsuko is in, when she is somewhat confused?
2. "If Etsuko lives in an upstairs apartment why is it that 'the glare from the windscreen prevented me from seeing clearly' " (pg. 16 & 17)?
Chapter 10
The drowning of the kittens can be seen as the climax of the novel. Sachiko is leaving her cottage for good. She is separating her clothes and taking what she has to and leaving the rest. The visit from Yasuko has made her restless, and Sachiko does not want to move back in with her uncle. Mariko knows what is happening and is pleading for the life of her kittens as if it is her own. The scene of Sachiko drowning the kittens is ferocious and devastating. The kittens were a symbol for Mariko of the baby that was drowned earlier in Tokyo. Mariko loved the kittens, and her character dies with the drowning of the kittens. Sachiko shows no sorrow for the death of the kittens and the suffering of her daughter Mariko (pg. 158-173).
Questions from
UWCSEA:
1. We finally meet Sachiko's relative. "Comment on Ishiguro's description of her. What is the symbolic significance of Yasuko-San's appearance? How is she connected to the woman in the woods"?
2. When Sachiko is packing, she sorts her things into two piles. What is the significance and difference between the two piles?
3. The scene where Sachiko drowns the kittens is full of images. Can these images be paralleled to another part of the book?
4. "Despite Etsuko's reassurances, Mariko is most suspicious of the woman with the rope. How does this image relate to others in the novel and ultimately what is its significance in relation to the principle themes of the novel" (pg. 18 & 19)?
Chapter 11
The final chapter focuses on the living characters rather than the dead. Etsuko reaches out to Niki to be close with her. Etsuko is alone now and wants to remain close with her only living daughter. She brings up the idea of marriage and children to Niki again before she leaves for London. There seems to be optimism for the future of the two characters. But as Niki is leaving it describes dark clouds to leave the reader with some doubt (pg. 174-183).
Questions from
UWCSEA:
1. Niki and Etsuko are very private about their acceptance and denial of their responsibility in the death of Keiko. "Why are they so sensitive to the other's questions"?
2. "Niki is having trouble packing her suitcase. Notice and comment on the parallels between Niki and Sachiko in this scene. In what ways do they share similar views"?
3. Comment on the ending of the book.
4. What are some of the major themes of the book? Then identify.
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