Mikage comes to accept the fact that the past is irreversible and there is nothing we can do to change it. “The reality of the fact………only one thing to do—” on pg 22, Mikage is trying to convince herself that her past cannot be changed. She breaks off the sentence by saying “only one thing to do—” but it can be seen that she is thinking about her future than her past which is a sign that she is becoming more optimistic about her life. Here Mikage is telling the reader that no one’s past is reversible. Nothing can change what has already happened. Instead, we must concentrate on the present, the reality. In Mikage’s case, this is very optimistic because she had not had a very happy past and she is trying to forget it and think about her present situation. She is giving the reader, an indirect, useful quote.
Eriko Tanabe too has faced struggles in her life. After her sex change, she earned through her nightclub which she bought from the spare money left after her plastic surgery. However, life was a constant struggle for her. It can be understood because the money earned from a nightclub is not sufficient to lead a very comfortable life and to raise a son. Eriko her self says “Being a woman is not easy” on pg 41. Eriko reveals her struggles to Mikage “Because I have…….I’m grateful for it”. Eriko tells Mikage her philosophy of life. She tells that true joy can be understood and felt only if a person has experienced great despair and sorrow. In her philosophy, Eriko is showing optimism because according to her, despite the greatest sorrows that can surround us, if we have someone or something to care for, we understand our limitations. She had benefited from it because she had Yuichi to raise. She is giving the reader, a message that despite all the sorrow and struggles in our lives, we must continue to live, to fight. Her philosophy affects Mikage very much and she says “As I grow older……my spirit be destroyed” on pg 42. Mikage is being very determined by saying that she will not succumb to despair, she will not accept defeat; instead, she will fight to live. This is also a foreshadowing because by saying this, Mikage is accepting the fact that she will have to face struggles in her future. She knows that life will not be easy for her but despite that, she will survive. This is again a very direct, powerful statement from Mikage to the reader that we must not lose hope in our struggles but fight them with determination.
Yuichi Tanabe understands his mother’s struggle in raising him up. He has seen his mother toil to earn and he respects that. He too has been a loner and a bit confused about emotional things and responding to people as Eriko her self says “He’s confused about……A good kid” on pg 19. Yuichi himself has felt loneliness and sorrow and because of his experience, he understands how Mikage feels and is so, comforts her. “You seem to think I…….not only for buying juicers” on pg 37, Yuichi comforts Mikage by telling her that he is the only one who understands how Mikage feels lonely. However, Yuichi says that the money Eriko had earned after so much of a struggle was meant for these hard times. Here, Yuichi for the first time is raising the topic of money as a medium of survival. He is being optimistic that Mikage and he would be fine. He also talks about money good humouredly teasing his mother’s purchase of a juicer. By this humour, he is trying to get Mikage out of her confused state of mind and is trying to instil hope in her at the same time comforting himself that everything was going to be fine because he had lost the only person who had been everything to him, mother, father, brother, sister and a good friend. Here, Yuichi is being a perfect example of a person who is determined to go on despite his barriers. He is also giving the reader a message that to be humorous can cheer us up in the darkest of moments and in our moments of despair, we must try to laugh and cheer ourselves. It is a way to become optimistic.
In conclusion, this story is of great value to any reader because it portrays a real life story. The characters appear very real to us because of their simplicity and unusualness. This makes us endearing to these characters, we feel attached to them, sympathy towards them. Each character contributes to a greater understanding of the definition of life and the way to live. Each character is determined that they would not fail, they would not give up; they would continue to fight on despite any barrier, any resistance. They teach us that death is not the end of despair, there are several others way to live on despite being clouded by darkness and uncertainty. This makes the reader respect the characters and feel close to them.
