Light and Darkness in Kitchen Anonymous College

“We moved deeper into the dead of night.” (page 50) Throughout Kitchen, Banana Yoshimoto uses light and dark to describe the environment around Mikage, as well as assigning these traits to characters whom she interacts with. However, it is not so much the comparison between light and dark that is astounding, but rather how Banana Yoshimoto, the author of the novella, presents both options in multiple variations giving readers an idea of what mood Mikage is in. As Mikage moves through life she is faced with the loss of several of the most important people in her life such as her parents, grandfather, and eventually her grandmother. These losses all take a toll on her, but it seems her luck has changed when she is brought into the Tanabe household; a household that radiates light in the darkness that has surrounded Mikage.

The biggest loss in Mikage’s life, though arguable, was the loss of her grandmother. Losing her parents at a young age, Mikage was raised by her grandparents until the death of her grandfather which left her to spend the rest of her time with her grandmother “together before bed, sometimes drinking coffee, sometimes green tea, eating cake and watching TV.” (page 20) Though one could say that Mikage was equally...