kitchen analysis

1. Mikage has a strong connection with kitchens and cooking. How does this translate into her expression of her feelings for others?

For Mikage, the kitchen is a place of comfort. When she lives somewhere, she feels most connected to the kitchen. The first time she goes to Yuichi’s home, she immediately connects with their kitchen. This is certainly a good sign. As time progresses, Mikage delves deeper into her culinary ventures. For Mikage, food is not only just a passion; it is a means of expressing her love. We find early in the novel that Mikage senses a strong relationship growing between her and Yuichi, but they both experience difficulty voicing their feelings. Throughout the plot, readers can connect moments of pure love and comfort with eating. The moments when Mikage realizes how supremely happy she feels with Eriko and Yuichi. On the night of the spontaneous feast, Mikage happily prepares all of Yuichi’s favorite dishes. During times of loss, Yoshimoto emphasizes how the characters neglect to eat well or how they look thinner. This emphasizes that the lack of love and comfort correlates with poor eating habits. Mikage does not eat well after losing her Grandmother and when she is away from Eriko and Yuichi. After losing Eriko, Yuichi starts drinking heavily. He does not start eating well until Mikage visits him and brings him the missing comfort and love. At the end, Mikage wants to share the best katsudon she has ever had with Yuichi. She wants to share her love for the dish with him. Upon presenting the dish to Yuichi, Mikage confesses her love for him. In return, Yuichi says the dish was delicious. This may seem odd, but really Yuichi is speaking their language of food. By stating that he likes the dish, he confirms...

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... was very young. Again, a single parent assumes full responsibility and raises the child alone. Eriko however takes on a different role. She assumed the father figure role until the loss of her wife. Now she lives as a woman, yet tries to give mother and father affection to Yuichi and later Mikage. One of the most striking aspects of these cases is that the mother role appears as a more dominant force. There is an indescribable connection a mother has with her child that it seems should always be present in one’s life. Yuichi and Mikage’s nuclear families change throughout this novel. This reflects on the idea that one may not always find that parent-child unconditional love with biological parents. It can shift and adapt. Kitchen gives hope to those who may have lost their parents in that there is always someone who can give you the unconditional love you need.