Nao only manages to find a distraction from grim thoughts in her great grandmother Jiko.
As the protagonist’s prospects become even more daunting, she follows the example of her father and begins to consider suicide (Ozeki 141). Following the abuse by her classmates, Nao’s deep emotional trauma prompts her to become an escort. Simultaneously, the family’s financial situation rapidly deteriorates, which worsens their living conditions and has an adverse impact on Nao’s mental health. Her father falls into a state of depression caused by continuous unemployment and attempts to commit suicide on several occasions. The unpleasant experience launches a chain of destructive events in Nao’s life. Consequently, she suffers from intense bullying and even sexual abuse. In addition, her life in Tokyo is far from pleasant, as Nao’s American spirit prevents her peers from accepting the protagonist. This situation pushes Nao toward an identity crisis, as she becomes stuck at the intersection of two worlds. While Nao may share the same roots as the rest of her family, she retains an American spirit (Ozeki 45).Įvidently, the heroine misses California and the United States, as she is not at all accustomed to the Japanese lifestyle. At the same time, the main character does consider herself Japanese. As a result, Nao’s family had to relocate back to Japan, where her parents were born. Her father used to work for a software development company, but he had to quit in the fallout of a stock market crash. Nao Yasutani is a young girl of Japanese ancestry born in the United States. This format combines the perspectives of two main characters presented in different manners. Ozeki manages to convey strong messages which render this bond tangible through the profound symbolism of her writing.Ī Tale for the Time Being benefits from an interesting style of narration. The novel describes the surprising connection, which arises between the seemingly separate worlds of the two characters.
The latter is a writer from Canada who finds both professional and personal inspiration in the diary of Nao washed up on an island shore. She manages to establish a strong connection with Ruth, who lives on the other side of the Earth, through her diary.
Nao is a young Japanese American who is taken out of her comfortable life and placed in a new, hostile environment. The novel vividly portrays two women whose lives eventually intersect despite the time and space between them.
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