Post by Mina Kaneko on Dec 10, 2015 5:19:54 GMT
The relationship between the protagonist and his wife is extremely fraught. We don't have much background about their relationship (what they were like when they met, when things started to deteriorate, if things were always this way), as the story focuses more on this tense, exhausted period of their lives. He is often fed up with her, and she is often fed up with him. The protagonist has become worn down from the pressure of taking care of her night and day, while she is frustrated: she can't do anything on her own, so wants him to take care of her, but she also finds him whiny and aggressive. Yet, he shows her dedication by buying her the innards that she likes, and she responds well when he is respectful of her.
What's noticeable right away is that they do not communicate well. They are so weighed down by the strain of the relationship, that instead of hearing each other's real needs, they attack one another. Both characters feel alienated by the other, and don't have the capacity to respond to the other person's need for compassion and understanding. They see each other as selfish. It's understandable that after all of this time, the weight of an illness and caretaking such as this would bring out such weariness and spite in two people. They seem bound by duty now more than love, though they must have some semblance of love between them somewhere.
At the end of the story, their relationship changes. Even though the protagonist knew from the start that she was dying, the firm confirmation by the doctor changes his attitude. He comes less combative, and feels compelled to fulfill his final duty, sad but also perhaps knowing he will be free of his burden soon. Spring seems to symbolize a peacefulness that will arrive to both people once she has passed away. When I imagined the carriage, I also imagined a black carriage, like a death coach in Western literature (a sign of death), but less ominous because of what it would bring.
Discussion question: Did you feel sympathy for the characters? Do you feel they love each other, or are they bound by something else?
What's noticeable right away is that they do not communicate well. They are so weighed down by the strain of the relationship, that instead of hearing each other's real needs, they attack one another. Both characters feel alienated by the other, and don't have the capacity to respond to the other person's need for compassion and understanding. They see each other as selfish. It's understandable that after all of this time, the weight of an illness and caretaking such as this would bring out such weariness and spite in two people. They seem bound by duty now more than love, though they must have some semblance of love between them somewhere.
At the end of the story, their relationship changes. Even though the protagonist knew from the start that she was dying, the firm confirmation by the doctor changes his attitude. He comes less combative, and feels compelled to fulfill his final duty, sad but also perhaps knowing he will be free of his burden soon. Spring seems to symbolize a peacefulness that will arrive to both people once she has passed away. When I imagined the carriage, I also imagined a black carriage, like a death coach in Western literature (a sign of death), but less ominous because of what it would bring.
Discussion question: Did you feel sympathy for the characters? Do you feel they love each other, or are they bound by something else?