b. Why does Kiyoshi believe Obaban is a substitute for his mom?
The idea of substitution in this book comes from Kiyoshi's Mother's belief in superstition. She feels that if someone has gotten away with a bad deed someone has to pay for it. This doesn't necessarily mean the person who committed the bad deed, this could be anyone replacing them. Tha t is where the term "Substitute comes from. Kiyoshi's mom become very ill and was in the hospital. When the son felt like she was nearing death, she explained to him her substitute theory, and how she felt like she was receiving the punishment for someone's bad deeds in her family. Kiyoshi starts to believe her ideas. He asks question about it to other people.
WHen she comes her closes to death, Kiyoshi receives bad news. Worried about it being his mother, he finds out later that it is Obaban who dies of a stroke. This is very fortunate to Kiyoshi. We can later see that his mother shows up to Obaban's house, where she seems a lot better. I can see how Kiyoshi can sum up what happened by saying Obaban took his mother's place in dieing as a substitute for someone else's sins.
Hi Tyler,
ReplyDeleteIf someone has to pay for a "bad deed" that's committed and if that someone doesn't have to be the person who committed the "bad deed," then what's the "bad deed" committed by Mrs. Oyama?
What do you all think? This isn't a point considered by Kiyoshi as he's narrating.
Lauren
I found it interesting that after Obaban's death, Kiyoshi's mother seemed to be feeling better and her health improved. I think that says a lot about the mind and the way we think effects our health.
ReplyDeleteHey Tyler,
ReplyDeleteI do not think that I could believe in such superstitions as the one Kiyo and his mom did. It just seems so far fetched. It is great that his mom did seem to be getting better after Obaban passed away; I just hope that she really was the replacement for his mom.
Sabrina