“Sunrise,” “Coco’s Century,” “His Last Bow”
The three of Kobayashi’s stories that we read were moving because they spanned generations. Kinda shows how the war and the atomic bomb didn’t just leave an impact on one generation of people, but every after too. The fact that the three stories collectively centered on both male and female protagonists shows that the war didn’t just affect men (who were drafted), but also women.
Abandoning a Cat
I think this one was my favorite out of the readings for this week. I liked the discussion on how stories and legacies are passed down from generation to generation, and how that transference is part of our “duty” to carry on history. But what does it mean to really perform this “duty”? Is the mere act of knowing our parents’ stories enough? Or do we ought to pass it on too? I was also thinking a lot about why the father decided to tell his son about the execution he was involved in when it wasn’t something he wanted to remember himself. Was it because he felt like he had to relieve the burden of the memory somehow? Of because he wanted someone to remember his experiences? Additionally, this quote stuck out to me: “All we can do is breathe the air of the period we live in, carry with us the special burdens of the time, and grow up within those confines. That’s just how things are” (8). To me, this means we can’t understand the struggles of a different generation, even if we attempt to. Every generation grows up with their unique set of circumstances - like in Murakami’s father’s case, the WWII, or like in our modern world, the digital age - that shape our burdens.
Tokyo Ueno Station
This story felt tragic with how we see the main character going through financial struggles. It was interesting that we get this perspective of an ordinary person going through and struggling through different events in history, like the war, the Tokyo Olympics, the Great Kanto earthquake, etc. But I also thought it was quite poetic how Ueno Park became a symbol of shelter, refuge and mercy.
Love Isn’t Easy When You’re the National Anthem
I liked the message of this story. I felt it was about silent rebellion, sticking to your individual thought and refusing to conform to mob mentality and government propaganda (which during wartime, was probably abundant). Refusing to sing the national anthem, the symbol of the country, could show protest again Japan’s wartime actions, and I think it speaks volumes to do that.
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