They should be thinking ahead now.
World War II leaves a terrible effect on lives of people. It is not any wonder that some of them can’t get rid of its influence. In spite of her great loss, Mrs. Fujiware believes and tries to persuade everyone that people “should be thinking ahead now”. The woman doesn’t let the grief overcome her and prevent her from living her life. She is happy enough to run her noodle shop and hopes that her son would marry soon. Mrs.Fujiwara admits that “things are different now”, but doesn’t let it bother herself, unlike many other characters in the story.
Everyone is a little frightened if new things.
Etsuko tries to take care about little Mariko and help her to put up with an idea of moving to a different country. Of course, Etsuko can only guess what a life Sachiko and Mariko used to have and how Frank, Sachiko’s lover, treats the child. She also understands that there is no way to help Mariko. The only one thing which is left for her to do is to persuade Mariko that “everyone is a little frightened of new things”. However, these words are of a little comfort.
It is pathetic when people just waste away their lives.
Nikki is described as “an affectionate child” and more often than not she proves to be so. For instance, she tries to persuade her mother that Keiko’s suicide is not her fault. Etsuko understands that it was a mistake to take Keiko away from Japan. Etsuko was sure that England was a better place for her daughter to grow. She also wanted to improve her own life. Nikki believes that no one can judge her mother for it, because “it s pathetic when people just waste away their lives’’. If a life in England makes her happy, Etsuko has every right to leave the country which makes her unhappy.
Some things aren’t such a loss, perhaps.
Jiro used to be a schoolboy before World War II. He remembers “being taught all about how Japan was created by the gods”. Jiro says that children were also taught that their nation was “divine and supreme”. Like many other young people, Jiro believes that these lies led Japan to a disaster. When his father complains about influence of “the Americans” on the education, Jiro doesn’t support him. He says that “some things aren’t such a loss”.
You wouldn’t think it such an art once you’d learnt how it was done. Perhaps women should keep these things secret.
Etsuko says this to Ogata-San when he asks her to teach him the art of cooking. What she implies is, when we are overexposed to luxuries, we lose appreciation for it or become bored with it and want nothing to do with it.
