I have not written an essay in 2+ years (biomaths chem combo) and I want to improve my critical thinking and literacy skills and make sure they do not drop off so I've told myself im going to read books and write short essays on them, please give as much critical feedback and give a score for writing.
The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai
The Kamogawa Food Detectives is a short book consisting of a series of individual stories of those visiting the Kamogawa Food Diner. The book explores people from all phases of life's consistent attachment to the past and uses the permanence of nostalgia in the human experience to explore several themes Hisashi believes are vital to being human. In this essay I will be exploring the underlying tone of this book and try gleam which theme Hisashi focuses on the most.
Firstly, love consistently appears throughout the book as each protagonist we follow hopes of finding a dish linked to someone they loved, romantically or platonically. The romantic love appears with two faces, the consistent, old yearning showed by Nagare and the new bountiful relationships beginning with the customers of the Detective Agency. Nagare often talks of his deceased wife in the present tense, telling his daughter that they " can't keep (her) mother waiting " on both pages 68 and 106, showing his inability (or unwillingness) to move on. The repetition of the use of present tense is not only a sign of respect but also a manifestation of Nagare's steadfast heart that can be observed by outsiders, exploring how love is undying no matter the tragedies it faces.
This imagery of love being relentless also persists in the form of new love budding even someone is stereotypically past the age of finding love. Hisashi begins the book with Hideji, an old friend of Nagare who has fallen in love with someone new (now 15 years after his wife has passed). Hideji states that at his age, "It's more about companionship.". Although this character may seem to juxtapose Nagare's version of love as you could argue it is fluctuating, I believe Hisashi instead meant to use Hideji as another way of demonstrating how love endures, not only as it is long lasting but because it can also come back again and again.
It can also be argued that these series of stories are supposed to follow arcs of redemption, demonstrating how people dwell on what was and how they then move forward in life. Tomomi appears to be a politician who has lost his way but Nagare helps him remember his childhood mentor, Haru, and enables Tomomi to remember her saying "Never forget your ideals." Moreover, Tomomi remembers Haru scolding him and telling him to "Never forget your first impressions.". These phrases highlight how Tomomi lost his way as he had not only forgotten the dish and the woman but also the saying, the values which he wants to live his life by. The repetition of "Never forget" emphasises the importance of being true to yourself and remembering who you wanted to be. Tomomi then thanks Nagare for helping him "see everything more clearly." which is a stark contrast to him not even being able to remember (or see) the dish he was asking for.
Ultimately, I believe this story is meant to be about change. From Hideji taking "A new lease on life." by starting a new romance to Tomomi's change in character and redemption to change within Nagare's internal and external world. Love and redemption are both arguably forms of change so here I will expound more instead upon the idea that this book focuses on change within Japanese society. In Japan, there is a culture of emotional regulation that is higher than that in more western-European countries, and this emotional suppression applies both in public and in private. However, this book can be seen as a vague criticism of this suppression as it follows successive stories of people remembering their past and becoming rekindled with their emotions in positive light. In Hisashi's book, food is not only unifying but it is also used as an excuse for people to expose themselves in a way which is hardly common in society.
Moreover Koishi, Nagare's daughter, can be seen as a symbol of a change in culture due to her expressive reactions throughout the book. Koishi is described as both having "a grin" and "an uncertain voice" showing her natural tendency to show what she is feeling in a raw, unfiltered way which is a big shift from straight-faced Tae who is several generations older. Moreover, Koishi is chastised by Tae for " (messing) around with language" as Tae claims "it's culture that suffers" when you do so. It is clear that Koishi represents a shift to a more emotionally open society that many different cultures are turning towards. Furthermore, all the different changing phases of life are highlighted by Nagare's constancy and the repetitive structure of the book itself.
In conclusion, I believe this is a book about change, big or small and it is a very sweet medium paced short story about life itself in its ever changing form. Hisashi quickly and adeptly encapsulates what it means to be human, to change, to grow and to find yourself and although love may seem to be the main theme, I believe what Hisashi really captures is change.
The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai
The Kamogawa Food Detectives is a short book consisting of a series of individual stories of those visiting the Kamogawa Food Diner. The book explores people from all phases of life's consistent attachment to the past and uses the permanence of nostalgia in the human experience to explore several themes Hisashi believes are vital to being human. In this essay I will be exploring the underlying tone of this book and try gleam which theme Hisashi focuses on the most.
Firstly, love consistently appears throughout the book as each protagonist we follow hopes of finding a dish linked to someone they loved, romantically or platonically. The romantic love appears with two faces, the consistent, old yearning showed by Nagare and the new bountiful relationships beginning with the customers of the Detective Agency. Nagare often talks of his deceased wife in the present tense, telling his daughter that they " can't keep (her) mother waiting " on both pages 68 and 106, showing his inability (or unwillingness) to move on. The repetition of the use of present tense is not only a sign of respect but also a manifestation of Nagare's steadfast heart that can be observed by outsiders, exploring how love is undying no matter the tragedies it faces.
This imagery of love being relentless also persists in the form of new love budding even someone is stereotypically past the age of finding love. Hisashi begins the book with Hideji, an old friend of Nagare who has fallen in love with someone new (now 15 years after his wife has passed). Hideji states that at his age, "It's more about companionship.". Although this character may seem to juxtapose Nagare's version of love as you could argue it is fluctuating, I believe Hisashi instead meant to use Hideji as another way of demonstrating how love endures, not only as it is long lasting but because it can also come back again and again.
It can also be argued that these series of stories are supposed to follow arcs of redemption, demonstrating how people dwell on what was and how they then move forward in life. Tomomi appears to be a politician who has lost his way but Nagare helps him remember his childhood mentor, Haru, and enables Tomomi to remember her saying "Never forget your ideals." Moreover, Tomomi remembers Haru scolding him and telling him to "Never forget your first impressions.". These phrases highlight how Tomomi lost his way as he had not only forgotten the dish and the woman but also the saying, the values which he wants to live his life by. The repetition of "Never forget" emphasises the importance of being true to yourself and remembering who you wanted to be. Tomomi then thanks Nagare for helping him "see everything more clearly." which is a stark contrast to him not even being able to remember (or see) the dish he was asking for.
Ultimately, I believe this story is meant to be about change. From Hideji taking "A new lease on life." by starting a new romance to Tomomi's change in character and redemption to change within Nagare's internal and external world. Love and redemption are both arguably forms of change so here I will expound more instead upon the idea that this book focuses on change within Japanese society. In Japan, there is a culture of emotional regulation that is higher than that in more western-European countries, and this emotional suppression applies both in public and in private. However, this book can be seen as a vague criticism of this suppression as it follows successive stories of people remembering their past and becoming rekindled with their emotions in positive light. In Hisashi's book, food is not only unifying but it is also used as an excuse for people to expose themselves in a way which is hardly common in society.
Moreover Koishi, Nagare's daughter, can be seen as a symbol of a change in culture due to her expressive reactions throughout the book. Koishi is described as both having "a grin" and "an uncertain voice" showing her natural tendency to show what she is feeling in a raw, unfiltered way which is a big shift from straight-faced Tae who is several generations older. Moreover, Koishi is chastised by Tae for " (messing) around with language" as Tae claims "it's culture that suffers" when you do so. It is clear that Koishi represents a shift to a more emotionally open society that many different cultures are turning towards. Furthermore, all the different changing phases of life are highlighted by Nagare's constancy and the repetitive structure of the book itself.
In conclusion, I believe this is a book about change, big or small and it is a very sweet medium paced short story about life itself in its ever changing form. Hisashi quickly and adeptly encapsulates what it means to be human, to change, to grow and to find yourself and although love may seem to be the main theme, I believe what Hisashi really captures is change.
