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Kami Export - Gabriel de Sousa Oliveira (A3344) - Feb11 - AFamilySupper - Extensive - Reading
Kami Export - Gabriel de Sousa Oliveira (A3344) - Feb11 - AFamilySupper - Extensive - Reading
Kami Export - Gabriel de Sousa Oliveira (A3344) - Feb11 - AFamilySupper - Extensive - Reading
b. Can you guess what the story is about from its title and the pictures above?
A think that this story is about a Japanese Family, that eat fish at lunch and one member of the family tell a story.
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2 Read these reviews of Kazuo’s A Family Supper. Then do the tasks that follow.
Text A
Kazuo Ishiguro tells us of an exceedingly powerful story. In “A Family Supper,” a
young man returns home from California. When he arrives in Japan, his father welcomes
him. The young man soon learns that his mother previously died by eating a poisonous
fish called Fugu. His father then tells him that his business collapsed and his partner
killed himself. Later, Kikuko mentions that their father’s business partner killed his wife
and his two daughters. The father then prepares dinner while Kikuko and her brother
socialise outside in the garden. When the two return inside, the father asks Kikuko to
help prepare dinner while he takes his son for a tour around the house. The small family
then reorganises to eat a fish dinner. During dinner, the son sees a picture on the wall
but does not recognise the woman in it. His father informs him that it is his mother’s
picture. After a moment of silence, they finish with dinner and retire into the tearoom,
where the father and son wait for Kikuko to return with tea. This story psychologically
examines the family and their reactions to their mother’s death in contrast to the dinner.
Text B
A simple story about the return of a son to his native Japan
after his mother’s death. In a few pages Ishiguro shows the
crumbling of a family. This story highlights the differences
between the generation that fought World War II and their
children, who have come under Western influences. This
“generation gap” is particularly evident in regards to how the
characters view suicide. In Kazuo Ishiguro’s story, “A Family
Supper,” a family sits down to supper, and the shadow of the
dead mother hangs over the meal. What secrets are discovered
when mothers and grandmothers die? Who are they? Just
some woman photographed in a white kimono? I think their
veils take many forms, even photographic.
a. Who are the main characters? Kazuo Ishiguro ;The father; Kikuko
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3 The words/expressions from the box below refer to aspects of Japanese culture.
Match the words/expressions with the correct definitions. The first one is done for
you. If you need help, check a dictionary.
c. Samurai This was a term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan.
The most famous Japanese dish outside of Japan, and one of the
g. Sushi
most popular dishes among the Japanese themselves.
The art of dwarfing and shaping trees and shrubs in pots;
h. Bonsai
a tree or shrub.
4 STORY MAP
Complete the following story map while reading the short story.
Atmosphere
Sad
(people’s mood)
Main events Mother´s death, family business
PLOT Climax
Suspense (examples)
Clues
Your response to the story:
Star Rating:
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5 CHARACTERS
a. Identify the main characters with a brief description.
Appearance
Personality &
Attitude
Personality
traits
6 THE STORY
Now reread the story carefully to do the tasks that follow.
Fugu is a fish caught off the Pacific shores of Japan. The fish has held a special
significance for me ever since my mother died through eating one. The poison resides in
the sexual glands of the fish, inside two fragile bags. When preparing the fish, these bags
must be removed with caution, for any clumsiness will result in the poison leaking into
5 the veins. Regrettably, it is not easy to tell whether or not this operation has been carried
out successfully. The proof is, as it were, in the eating.
Fugu poisoning is hideously painful and almost always fatal. If the fish has been
eaten during the evening, the victim is usually overtaken by pain during his sleep. He
rolls about in agony for a few hours and is dead by morning. The fish became extremely
10 popular in Japan after the war. Until stricter regulations were imposed, it was all the rage
to perform the hazardous gutting operation in one’s own kitchen, then to invite
neighbours and friends round for the feast.
At the time of my mother’s death, I was living in California. My relationship with my
parents had become somewhat strained around that period, and consequently I did not
15 learn of the circumstances surrounding her death until I returned to Tokyo two years
XPL11-READ © Porto Editora
later. Apparently, my mother had always refused to eat fugu, but on this particular
occasion she had made an exception, having been invited by an old schoolfriend whom
she was anxious not to offend. It was my father who supplied me with the details as we
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No one spoke for a few seconds, then Kikuko rose to her feet. She took the photograph
215 down from the wall, came back to the table and gave it to me.
‘She looks a lot older,’ I said.
‘It was taken shortly before her death,’ said my father.
‘It was the dark. I couldn’t see very well.’
I looked up and noticed my father holding out a hand. I gave him the photograph.
220 He looked at it intently, then held it towards Kikuko. Obediently, my sister rose to her
feet once more and returned the picture to the wall.
There was a large pot left unopened at the centre of the table. When Kikuko had
seated herself again, my father reached forward and lifted the lid. A cloud of steam rose
up and curled towards the lantern. He pushed the pot a little towards me.
225 ‘You must be hungry,’ he said. One side of his face had fallen into shadow.
‘Thank you.’ I reached forward with my chopsticks. The steam was almost scalding.
‘What is it?’
‘Fish.’
‘It smells very good.’
230 In amidst soup were strips of fish that had curled almost into balls. I picked one out
and brought it to my bowl.
‘Help yourself. There’s plenty.’
‘Thank you.’ I took a little more, then pushed the pot towards my father. I watched
him take several pieces to his bowl. Then we both watched as Kikuko served herself.
235 My father bowed slightly. ‘You must be hungry,’ he said again. He took some fish to
his mouth and started to eat. Then I too chose a piece and put it in my mouth. It felt soft,
quite fleshy against my tongue.
‘Very good,’ I said. ‘What is it?’
‘Just fish.’
240 ‘It’s very good.’
The three of us ate on in silence. Several minutes went by.
‘Some more?’
‘Is there enough?’
‘There’s plenty for all of us.’ My father lifted the lid and once more steam rose up. We
245 all reached forward and helped ourselves.
‘Here,’ I said to my father, ‘you have this last piece.’
‘Thank you.’
When we had finished the meal, my father stretched out his arms and yawned with
an air of satisfaction. ‘Kikuko,’ he said. ‘Prepare a pot of tea, please.’
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250 My sister looked at him, then left the room without comment. My father stood up.
‘Let’s retire to the other room. It’s rather warm in here.
I got to my feet and followed him into the tea-room. The large sliding windows had
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8 OVER TO YOU
Choose one of the following creative activities.
a. Put yourself in the place of the writer and write a different ending for the story you
have read.
b. Create a trailer for the story imagining it is the plot of a film. You can either draw
the storyboard for the trailer or create a trailer using Windows MovieMaker.
Tips:
• Discuss with your partner the objectives of the film trailer.
• You can watch trailers at http://www.apple.com/trailers/ in order to understand how
trailers are done.
• Check out trailer number 3 of the film The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – it gives you
the recipe for a successful trailer!
computer. Be sure to identify the following: title of the film; credits: actors,
director, producer and studio.
d. Make a recording of the story. Read your story aloud while recording it.
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