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Revenge by Yoko Ogawa, The Uncle Trilogy, Tomatoes and the Full Moon &…

- - - - The Clocktower: the clock ran 4 times in the beginning (death number), and 5th time (lucky number in Japanese culture). The clocktower is the literal representation of the passage of time . "the clocktower covered in pigeon droppings" --> normalcy, time still passes no matter what happens. GI IDEA: THE IMPACT OF GRIEF ON THE STRAIN OF RELATIONSHIPS/ PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
      - Strawberry shortcake: Childhood sweetness, the innocence of the child. Strawberry shortcakes are pink --> alludes to a diluted version of blood--> the pain will always be there no matter how long ago it happened. More analysis: the strawberry shortcake is meant to be celebratory. "The mould is quite beautiful" --> alludes to how she may have watched her son's body deteriorates.
    - - The dead son is presented as intelligent. He knew how to read storybooks well and could have been a lead actor if he had lived. When the caller asked if her son would like to join the middle-school reunion, one can view the caller as a representation of the Mother's conscience checking up on her.
    - - "The door that would not open no matter how hard you pushed, no matter how hard you pounded on it." -- Pg10. Analysis : can be suggesting how her son acted when he was stuffed into the fridge; also works as a metaphor for the pain the mother felt. The sentence is rhythmic--> mimics the pounding of the fridge door. THE VICIOUS CYCLE OF GRIEF. The refrigerator is symbolism for death. She tried to kill herself because she sees death as freeing rather than burdensome.
      - "Mold can be quite beautiful" --Pg6. Analysis: Surrealism, implying that watching her son die inside the fridge was an interesting process. The speaker seems to be very curious --> GI IDEA: THE IMPACT OF CURIOSITY IN RELATIONSHIPS
      - "He slapped my face. Then he left me." --Pg10. Themes: violence, simplicity, relationships, grief. Analysis: Everyone reacts to grief differently. The Mother
    - - Cyclical structure --> the Mother's actions are very predictable, shows that grief has gotten hold of her --> typical of Japanese stories, where the protagonist doesn't have control of their lives.
      - GRIEF is represented through delusion & obsession. The one thing the mother is so obsessed with his the way her son died, and her son's death.
        
        "He had curled up in an ingenious fashion to fit between the shelves and the egg box..." the Mother describes the position of her son's death with such logical progression its almost as if she were describing him the way a person would describe an artwork. Death ≠ Sadness --> its more like a form of natural, dark curiosities.
        
        Obscene: when the Mother was watching the cake slowly rot. "Then the strawberries dried out, wrinkling up like the heads of deformed babies". She is in a stage of denial