Social Norms In Kitchen, By Banana Yoshimoto

Banana Yoshimoto’s Kitchen goes against many societal and cultural norms throughout the novella. A central part of Kitchen is the different relationships that contrast traditional Japanese views on relationships and how people are allowed to interact with other people based on how they are related to them. Through these character interactions, Yoshimoto utilizes symbolism to convey the underlying message that societal norms are always subject to change by giving prime examples of very westernized situations in order to create a less dark Japanese society. Mikage and Yuichi’s relationship is the most vibrant relationship that Yoshimoto highlights to flank traditional Japanese culture, and through their scenes together Yoshimoto illuminates the

Interactions between characters is Yoshimoto’s primary mode of communication to the reader in order to extinguish old ways of thought in Japanese society. The identity of the characters during the interactions is what makes this way of communicating to the reader so significant. The first interaction between Mikage and her ex-boyfriend Sotaro is when Yoshimoto writes “I picked up the receiver, knowing who it would be” (Yoshimoto 22). Yoshimoto depicts the situation as one that does not give Mikage any satisfaction or happiness in this difficult time after losing her grandma. Due to her relationship with Sotaro, she expects a phone call from him to comfort her, but due to the Japanese views on emotions, it does not allow the interaction to be anything special. This compares to the culture that surrounds Mikage because she is not expelling any of her emotions that she feels surrounding the event of losing her grandma or any emotions toward Sotaro. This culture of lack of emotion is furthered when Yoshimoto writes the bland statement “We broke up about the time my grandmother’s illness got bad” (Yoshimoto 22). Mikage has a lack of emotion when she talks about an event that normally people would have serious emotions attached to,

It is not commonly accepted for people to expel their emotions, especially emotions that they feel for potential partners. The author’s voice is clearly heard by the reader; Yoshimoto is trying to alter Japanese society’s interpretation of emotion and make sharing emotions that people feel with one another a normal occurrence. Yoshimoto’s symbol of Yuichi being seen as pure and deity-like expresses the significance of Mikage’s immediate reaction to seeing him. It symbolizes a pure interaction, one that was completely natural without any outside pressures or influence. Yoshimoto once again communicates to the reader through situational irony when she writes “Because I wasn’t in love with Yuichi, I understood that very well” (Yoshimoto 29). This situational irony allows the reader to see that the people in Japanese society are unable to interpret natural emotions correctly because they have no experience doing so. The author’s voice is heard through this statement in the fact that Yoshimoto is telling the reader that the only way for people to truly understand someone, they should not be in love, which is completely different than western