Kira Kira reflections

Kira Kira did many things very well, in my opinion. The struggle that Katie has with her identity struggles seemed very genuine. The underlying plotline with the unionization of the workers was interesting to me from a historic standpoint, as well as from a cultural perspective – Mrs. Takeshima’s prideful opposition to unions created engaging conflict. At the same time, this was my least favorite of the three novels that I read for this week – the reason I think this is so is that this text offers the fewest personal connections to me and my life. I tell my students that they should either read for enjoyment or for learning, but never for the sake of finishing. This generally comes up when kids complain about being required to read a text that they don’t like (not terribly often, but at least once per curricular unit) – my ready response is that we’re reading to learn, and though I hope they enjoy it, I can’t guarantee anything. I went against my own words with this one. I read to finish, because I had difficulty relating to the text in a meaningful way throughout. It definitely does not help that I have fallen behind in grading due to a sickness last week, and am treading water in school this week – this has caused me to treat some of my work and reading without the time and attention that I would otherwise like to. No doubt many of the subtle details that help make this text as celebrated as it is fell by the wayside as I read. I trust that my experience with Kira Kira would be very different if I were reading it for fun and learning at a time when I could afford to do so. At this time however, I can at least speak to those elements of this title that did speak to me.

The American Dream

This is one of my favorite themes to discuss throughout the school year, as it is covered in The Great Gatsby. I have enjoyed many very fruitful discussions with my students about whether the American Dream exists at all, or if it is a lie and always was a lie. Students traditionally love this – it allows their inner cynic or rose-tinted sunglasses side to come to the surface. In Kira Kira, I connected to the Takeshima’s drive to own a home, though it cost them all so dearly as a family. In spite of rarely seeing their children, Mr. and Mrs. sacrificed their time, energy, and health in alarming amounts in order to own a home. At first this seemed strange to me as a reader, and I remembered many of the discussions I have had in class with my students, and I came to understand this motivation better as a part of the Takeshima’s need to reach their own American Dream – to own their own property, to be better off than their parents before them, and provide a better opportunity for their children than they were given. The house was the evidence of their improving status in society, and the promise it meant for their children justified the long hours they spend in the poultry farm.

At the same time, the image of the house is aptly contrasted with Mr. Lyndon’s house, which is described as being “as big as a castle.” Mr. Lyndon’s despicable character helps to highlight how “unfair” the disparities are between the classes – not much unlike how Fitzgerald uses the Buchanans to contrast with the Wilsons. In both cases, the reader is privy to the truth that material possessions do not define character. This brings about my favorite part of the text – when Mr. Takeshima brings Katie with when he apologizes to Mr. Lyndon for damaging his car. The lesson that he teaches his daughter is both noble and unforgettable, and it leaves her with an understanding that dignity is more important than the material, and that it does not share a correlation with stereotypical American prosperity.