This was my first short story I read, and right away I am throughly freaked out. This man used to be in love with a woman a very long time ago when he was in his twenties. He was in a book store when a young woman called out his name. At first he did not recognize her, until he stared at her and realized it was the woman he used to love daughter. The daughter is young and beautiful so this forty year old man decides within a matter of minutes that he is in love with the daughter. It is evident that women in Tokyo are very competitive when it comes to men because people are jealous and want stability. After meeting in the bookstore, he decides to take her and her mom out for dinner. On the way to the mother and daughter's apartment, he tries to create romantic conversation. It is creepy that she is actually flirting back. Taboo is very present in the girl and one sign of love is pretending to be stupid when it comes to her finding her own house. So basically the two are flirting by the ways of taboo, it seems just like american flirting; silly, clownish, blonde haired remarks. They arrive at the apartment, but the mother is not there because she was killed by a bomb in Hiroshima. The daughter wanted to tell him but she couldnt, and the only reason the daughter wanted to see him was because her mother screamed out his name before she died. He still took the daughter and the mothers ghost out for dinner. He bought the dead mother eel, peanuts, and alcohol. It was strange that he would spend money on a ghost while the daughter was there; it seemed rude. After the two had finished their meals, the split the mothers in half to eat and the story ended.
The man in the beginning talks about how Tokyo has not changed at all: the people are loud, the streets are greasy, and buildings are crappy. People in america say its a small world when they see someone in california they knew when they were in high school, but Tokyo seems so huge and everyone looks the same that anyone would be able to recognize each other. I really hope that the daughter does not fall in love with this forty year old guy when he had slept with her mother. I think that is really disgusting but people are pretty desperate over there.
The Best Is Yet to Come Film à Regarder
4 years ago
1 comment:
Love at first sight is always suspect I guess, then again we often meet married couples that say it is true. Good observation about Tokyo women & stability. American flirting or Japanese flirting, I guess humans are humans and act similar in given similar situations.
Spending money on a ghost is not at all rare in Asia. Once per year at New Years, dating back to Chinese ancient days, the living must make offerings to the dead in the forms of food and drink. This custom tends to be something that is still carried onto modern day. Much like we wear black to a funeral, or offer flowers for the dead, etc. All funeral practices are strange really.
Good observations, and the post encapsulates the story quite well.
Mr. Farrell
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