Good Example Of Essay On Two: A Literary Analysis Of A Family Supper By Kazuo Ishiguro

Life is full of many decisions, some small and some big. But in the end they normally reduce to only two important decisions, either of which could lead to two separate outcomes. Such decisions are so hard that years after we have made them we still wonder which was the correct choice. In Kazuo Ishiguro’s short story, ‘A Family Supper,’ the author symbolically – and often – uses the duality of the number ‘two’ to describe several things. This concept of ‘two’ describes the duality each character’s dichotomy, alluding to two possible outcomes for the story’s ending whether climaxing in life or death in accordance with each individual’s choice. This examination explores the symbolism of ‘two,’ in terms of life or death choices each character must face by contemplating the symbol of ‘two’ as a duality in the separate choices the characters must make.
Ishiguro repeatedly uses different symbols for two that represent life or death, the first of which is the Fugu fish. While describing the Fugu fish the author said ““The poison resides in the sexual glands of the fish, inside two fragile bags. When preparing the fish, these bags must be removed” (605). The two fragile bags represent the first symbol. These two bags symbolize the two outcomes that life or death may bring, based upon the fragile process of preparing the fish. Also a few lines later, the author says “The proof is, as it were, in the eating,” when talking about how you know if the poison remains in the cooked fish or not (605). The strange thing about this quote of “as it were,” is that the author’s initial narration implies he is setting up a situation in which an outcome of life or death, are possible conclusions to his story (605). From two fragile bags, to a duality of life-or-death outcomes, the author continues the theme of symbolism of ‘two.’
The next symbol of two in the story is shown in the two families, Watanabe’s family and the protagonist’s family. Both families have a father with a Samurai bloodline, and both families have two children. The two fathers in the story also took two different paths. Watanabe decided to end his life over the despair of a failing business, and decides on taking the life of his family as well. The protagonist’s father however, did not initially choose to kill his family, if in fact they die in the end. Instead, all the members of the protagonist family silently agree to make the decision to eat the fish. There are numerous symbols of ‘two’ revolving around the protagonist’s father.
The living father in the story reflects many symbols of the duality of ‘two’ which gives clues to his possible final decision. First of all, the father has two people to stay alive for, his two children. Also there are two reasons why he should want to die: the death of his wife from eating poisoned Fugu fish, and the suicide of his friend Watanabe. Unwittingly perhaps, and somewhat odd, they both committed suicide. The problem is he is not sure if he even has his two children or not. Just before the supper, after explaining his belief that the protagonist mom death was not by accident, the father says “You don’t see how it is for some parents. Not only must they lose their children, they must lose them to things they don't understand” (609). It would appear he is talking about his two children since the remark comes following the discussion about his wife’s circumstances of death. The father attempts twice to verify if he has his two children, and again two times each. For Kikuko, the sister, the father states only two times in the whole story “she’s a good girl” (609, 611). When he makes that statement it almost seems like he is trying to convince himself she is good when he knows she is bad. Kikuko’s father obviously does not approve of her smoking, we get this from the text when she rushes outside to smoke in the garden. To the protagonist the father said “Already, perhaps, you regret leaving America” (610). The he also says, “You'll no doubt return to America before long” (612). The father said the word ‘America, twice, and only twice in the whole story. The symbolism of ‘two’ casts deep shadows on the protagonist’s life-choice dilemmas as well.
The protagonist’s circumstances exhibit several symbols of ‘two.’ The first symbol of his ‘two’ is that he returns to Tokyo two years after his mother’s death. Literally, as the protagonist speaking he say the word two only two times. Next, the protagonist says the word ‘death’ only twice in the entire story, and again he says it when talking about his mother’s death and the Fugu fish. Also, he saw the lady in the Kimono two times – once as a child, and then in the 11x5 picture of his mother during the supper. So, the analysis renders the following. If the protagonist used the word death two times while talking about his mother, and the Fugu fish at supper, he further sees the lady in the kimono for the second time. Could this mean that the two men alone in the room at the end of the story will die?
The protagonist’s sister is also surrounded by the ‘two’ symbolism. Kikuko, just as her brother did, says the word ‘two’ only twice in the entire story “'Well, that wasn't all. He took his whole family with him. His wife and his two little girls.' 'Oh yes?' 'Those two beautiful little girls.”(608). Notice that she says little girls only twice in the entire story. The next two symbol related to Kikuko is that she says poor mother two times in the story. Finally Kikuko does not know exactly what she is going to do but she contemplates two options that do not involve death. The first option is two follow her boyfriend to America, which she says only twice. The second option is to stay with her friends in Osaka. The dichotomies are strikingly odd, and interesting.
In conclusion, the story leaves the reader to wonder if ‘two’ has a special symbolism in Japanese culture, or whether Ishiguro wanted to make a point about life and death choices, or realities. Considering all of the two symbols lead to two possible endings to our story, the author leaves us in a bit of suspense hanging in the balance. The first ending would be that all three character’s in the story die. After all, the two parents feel they lost their children and the father said that both parents wanted to take them back. Since the mother is already dead then death would be the only way for them to theoretically all be united, all together again. The second ending could be that all three of the character’s live. Kazuo Ishiguro has skillfully used ‘two’ symbolically to draw depth and contemplation of the serious matters of life and death, into this short story. At the end of ‘A Family Supper’ silence surrounds the table as they wait for the young woman to bring tea. Does this tea drinking imply that it is a ceremony of sorts? Perhaps Ishiguro intends to end the story in this way to show that all the characters have come to a resolution of peace, in each of their minds. Yet, what happens next is left to our imaginations.
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