Research Paper on:
'A Family Supper' by Kazuo Ishiguro

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
very small space. Ishiguro picks just the right detail to pass on to his readers, so that characters come alive and the tensions between family members are crystal clear. The  story concerns the generation gap between the Japanese generation that fought in World War II, who know only the values of the Japanese culture and their children, who  have been highly influenced by Western culture. From the beginning of the story, Ishiguro provides details that illustrate the differences between American and Japanese perspective. The protagonist comes home  to Japan after a long absence. During a "family supper," which includes the protagonists sister, the tensions and dynamics of the family are dramatized. These dynamics underscore the differences between  the Western and Japanese worldview. This is particularly evident in the difference between the Western and Japanese orientation towards suicide, and these differences underscore the generation gap that separates the  older generation, which fought in World War II and their children. As Frumkes (2001) points out, Ishiguros work tends to reveal how peoples lives are shaped by their past.  In the first paragraph, Ishiguro introduces fugu fish that is deadly poisonous when improperly cooked. The protagonist explains that after World War II eating this fish, which is the culinary  equivalent of playing Russian roulette, was popular in Japan, but his mother always refused to eat fugu, but decided to do so rather then not offend an old friend. The  choice caused her death, which sounds painful and horrendous. The narrator did not learn the full details of her death until he returned home, due to the strained relations  he had with the family at that time. The reasons behind these strained relations soon becomes clear as the narrator rides home with his father. The father of the