56 pages • 1 hour read
Banana YoshimotoKitchen
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1988A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Essay Topics
Yuichi calls Mikage and himself “destruction workers” because of their closeness to death. Explain what the concept means in relation to both Mikage’s and Yuichi’s tragedies in their individual lives and as a unit (as friends), citing examples from the novel.
Yuichi’s and Mikage’s family situations are very similar. Describe the family units of Mikage and Yuichi when they are first introduced and then how these family units change by the narrative’s end.
Mikage sees a grandmother and her granddaughter on a bus and is overcome by the event. Explain what she witnesses between the two individuals. What are her reactions, and what ends up happening to her because of this event? What does the event symbolize for Mikage and her own life?
Eriko Tanabe is an enigmatic character. Describe Eriko’s life, from when she was young until her untimely death. What were her views on happiness and sadness? What was in the letter she left for Yuichi, and how is the letter’s content symbolic of Eriko’s character in life?
Compare the male characters in the first two sections. How are they similar? Different? How does Mikage function in relation to each of them, and they to her?
Compare the female characters in the novel. How do they view happiness? Sadness? Death? What becomes of these characters by the narrative’s end?
Are Mikage and Yuichi in love with one another? What kind of feelings connect them to one another? Explain your reasoning and provide examples from the text.
Dreams are powerful catalysts in Kitchen, and the novel often suggests that characters may or may not be dreaming when they happen. Detail several of the dreams that appear in the narrative. What examples can you give to suggest whether the characters involved might not be dreaming, or that they are?
