Freshman Identity Theft

Brandon Rubsamen
Mr. Davis
English I Honors
9 November 2015
EIH Essay # 2 – A Case of Freshman Identity Theft
“A Family Supper” by Kazuo Ishiguro is a unique short story telling of the reunion of a small family. “A Family Supper” indirectly and almost sarcastically discusses a change, a modernization, in Japanese society and culture. The short story presents two characters who represent the difference between the two generations. One character, the father, symbolizes the old, traditional, and stereotypical Japanese culture. The other character, his son, represents the society’s evolution and modernization. Stereotypes are presented which reflect social norms and their contrast with personal identity. The beginning of the Freshman year in high

In current society, these stereotypes are frowned upon, and are being shown to be less and less true. Today, stereotypes of race and ethnicity are weaker than they used to be when cultures were more isolated and less diverse. The son character in “A Family Supper”, displays this letting go of old stereotypes and culture, and an accepting of modernization and globalization. He and his father represent the huge leap that mankind has taken from isolated nation-states to a global community that has rapidly occurred within the last several decades. A dramatic difference is displayed between the father and son when it is mentioned that the father’s colleague committed suicide. The father explains to his son, “After the firm’s collapse, Watanabe killed himself. He didn’t wish to live with the disgrace.” The son, who has been out of the secluded, Japanese society, is clearly shocked by this. It is implied that the son disgraced his family by leaving their isolated, Japanese society and left to join modern civilization. This can be important knowledge for a freshman to have, depending on the way it is interpreted. This statement shows that today’s society is a new one that disregards the tacit rules of segregation, and lets a person choose his or her own

Things by which others try to define them. Whether it be because of a person’s gender, height, size, athleticism, intellectualism, or even their wealth, there are so many stereotypes that are placed on people. “A Family Supper” shows that despite these stereotypes, one can still be who they want. Take the daughter in the story, Kikuko, for example. She is closely following in her brother’s footsteps, but at the same time, pleasing her father. She is stereotyped by her own father, whom somewhat blindly sees her as an obedient, innocent, and dependent woman. The father is still stuck in a time where he believes that women are to be the ones who take care of the household and chores, and who are utterly dependent on men. The son sees past this, because he truly knows his sister for who she is. It is made clear the Kikuko has mixed feelings about her father, because at one point during then short story the narrator says, “My sister relaxed quite visibly once he had left the room.” (p. 135) During the freshman year, when people are starting over and making new friends whom they have never met before, these friends will probably place stereotypes on each other. Not because they are mean, but because they do not know any better, and because they have not truly begun to know their friends. Identity is something that one creates on his own. Identity is not created by society’s vision of