Themes

The main themes of the short story “A Family Supper” by Kazuo Ishiguro are tradition versus modernity and the difference between generations, enhanced by the motif of broken communication.

Tradition versus modernity

The first aspect which indicates the existence of this theme is the main physical setting. The action takes place in Tokyo, Japan, namely in Kamakura district. This place was the seat of the Shogunate (a military dictatorship) until 1333. The place where the narrator comes from is, then, a place filled with strictness and tradition.

The mother and the father have lived in a society which honours and values the traditions of the past.

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The difference between generations

The difference between generations is mostly rendered by the clash of mentalities and values between parents and children. Just like the father and the children in the short story, many modern-day families deal with similar differences. For instance, the first event that finally leads to the rupture in the family is the narrator moving to California.

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Motif: broken communication

In the short story, neither the father nor his children can communicate properly. Lacking any other common topic, the father almost obsessively comments on the son’s possible hunger.

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