Post by Mina Kaneko on Dec 3, 2015 1:35:21 GMT
The protagonist in "Dreaming of Kimchee," by Yoshimoto Banana is introspective and unaware at the same time. She is heady and reflects a lot on her inner emotional state, which we get to see. At the same time, she often describes how she was blind to certain things in the moment as they were happening. For example, she says she doesn't give much thought to the articles on extramarital relationships when she's reading the magazines (even though she's in one). She implies that she should have known that she would eventually be hurt, but she doesn't question her relationship too much because it just seemed natural that they be together. Whether this is because she is intentionally turning a blind eye or because she naturally tends to act first and then reflect on her emotions later, she is definitely someone who dwells in her internal life when she is alone, or after events have taken a different course.
She also tends not to trust herself too much. She is clearly wrought by anxiety about her husband's potential affairs, but she doesn't really have an outlet for that anxiety, which makes her unable to see the situation as clearly as she would like, or to see her deeper feelings as she might like. She is afraid he is cheating on her, but is too harsh on herself for being paranoid. I think deep down she knows that that paranoia comes from somewhere concrete (the wife's comments about him being a cheater, her own instincts), but instead of approaching the situation as though he is to blame, she dismisses her own fears, and blames herself in some way. She seems conflicted: she feels sure about her relationship and also feels guilty and fearful. I enjoyed the protagonist's honesty in describing her anxieties, however, as we all have them, and they can very much intensify when we are alone and have lots of time (ie., her waiting).
Discussion question: Do you relate to the protagonist (not her exact situation, but to her internal conflicts)? And/or, do you find her to be a likeable character and why?
She also tends not to trust herself too much. She is clearly wrought by anxiety about her husband's potential affairs, but she doesn't really have an outlet for that anxiety, which makes her unable to see the situation as clearly as she would like, or to see her deeper feelings as she might like. She is afraid he is cheating on her, but is too harsh on herself for being paranoid. I think deep down she knows that that paranoia comes from somewhere concrete (the wife's comments about him being a cheater, her own instincts), but instead of approaching the situation as though he is to blame, she dismisses her own fears, and blames herself in some way. She seems conflicted: she feels sure about her relationship and also feels guilty and fearful. I enjoyed the protagonist's honesty in describing her anxieties, however, as we all have them, and they can very much intensify when we are alone and have lots of time (ie., her waiting).
Discussion question: Do you relate to the protagonist (not her exact situation, but to her internal conflicts)? And/or, do you find her to be a likeable character and why?