Parenthood

One of the major themes presented in Kawakami’s novel is that of parenthood, particularly in terms of the pitfalls and advantages of being a single parent. The novel dissects the potentially desirable and undesirable aspects of single parenthood, with money playing a significant part: Midoriko feels the burden of her mother having to work to support her, and she expresses a desire to help contribute to the household income. She also bemoans Makiko’s decision to have her, pointing out that Makiko’s life would have been easier if she had not had a child. Natsuko’s friend Rie, who is not a single parent but who does not get along with her husband, points out that even married women experience pressure to not appear single, saying, “You need to show everyone you’re happily married and all that” (208). However, Natsuko remembers experiencing a feeling...