‘I really like this theme you seem to be building about making beds. Can you tell me what happens in the story and how it develops and what takes place?’
‘Yeah, it is about making beds. It’s about how my ex-boyfriend committed suicide in my bed and I saved his life.’
‘I recommend you, and not just focussing on you so much, but this is for everyone, to consider warning readers that the content of your memoir may be upsetting.’
‘What do I need to do that for?’
‘Trigger warning.’
‘It’s to show your readers compassion!’
‘I wasn’t given any fucking warning.’
‘I happen to teach a class on ethics and writing memoirs and it’s something we study in this course. We cover it next week and it may be a good idea to include something like that at the start of the piece.’
‘Content warning.’
‘I’m so sorry you went through that.’
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Frothing at the mouth. Vomit over his face, his shirt, my bed, my pillow. Eyes rolled back.
Groaning. Groaning. Groaning.
Breathing
I called the ambulance.
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‘Today we’re going to study Silence in narrative. It’s about writing what is not there, and not saying what doesn’t need to be said. I believe studying silence in narrative and how it is employed is blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah Teacher Talk Time? blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah now I’m going to split you all into groups and you talk together about these points based on the reading by Ishiguro. Take a screen shot of these questions so you can blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah Oh for fuck’s sake! blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah so just a minute and I’ll put you into your breakout rooms blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah and here you go.’
…
‘Hello?’
…
‘Err… so we are enacting the topic of today’s lecture, are we? Well done, everyone!’
‘Hahahaha.’
‘So, did you read The Family Supper?’
‘Hahaha yes my brain isn’t working today hahaha.’
‘Um… how about you?’
‘Yeah, it was really interesting.’
…
‘Right so everyone I’m going to split you into breakout groups again and blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah so find a quote that indicates a minor specific detail and which can expand out into much broader issues that are not written. Hang on blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah here you go.’
…
‘So what do yous think?’
‘Um…’
‘Oh, I found one: These little gunboats could have been glued better, don’t you think? It alludes to the values of Imperial Japan which resulted in the absolute disaster of the Battle of Midway, values which the father still lives by and the mother committed suicide by. The children have both rejected these values. The father is so lonely but he won’t express it and the children are just waiting to get back to their own lives.’
‘Oh wow! That was amazing!’
‘Did you write that down??’
‘Oh. What did I say again?’
Ishiguro indicates also that those values are an absolute failure: the mother suicided because the children rejected those values, she could not handle the shame of her children’s aberration. The absolute failure of those values is that the children grew up with no mother and the father is in retirement, desperately lonely. Those traditional values destroyed this family due to lack of flexibility and lack of
.
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compassion.
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Frothing at the mouth and groaning and groaning and groaning. Non-responsive.
Breathing
I called the ambulance.
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- He wanted me all to himself while he had everyone he wanted. He hated me getting attention when he wasn’t also getting attention. He always needs attention.
The sunflower swivels toward the rising sun and plots its course all day. The sunflower just seems to give up at dusk.
- No one came to see him at the hospital. No one came to see him after he got back home. No one came to help for that first month.
- One friend came a month after. Everyone busy busy busy.
- Two of his ‘friends’ blamed me for his suicide attempt about 2 months after. Neither helped at all, didn’t even call. One of them finally invites him to stay for a couple of weeks.
- If someone pays me attention and not him, he will try to suicide in my bed again?
T
H
R
E
A
T
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‘Thanks for editing my memoir. I think I’ve finished with this story until the uni course requires it.’
‘It’s good.’
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‘IT’S CALLED COMPASSION FOR YOUR READERS!’
‘I’m sorry you went through that.’
‘I teach a class on ethics.’
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‘I went to his place but he told me to buy the food and to cook the dinner before I even arrived.’
‘What? He said he would take care of you, didn’t he?’
‘Yes, but that’s him.’
‘He invited you there to give you a break. He told you he would take care of you but the first thing he does is tell you to do the shopping and cooking?’
‘Yes.’
‘Great friend.’
‘I don’t think I’ll stay here 2 weeks. I think I’ll be back tomorrow. Is that OK? I wanted to give you time away from me so you could take a break.’
‘No, don’t worry about that. Just come home when you’re ready.’
‘I really wanted to give you a break.’
‘Yeah, that’s OK. You won’t feel comfortable up there. You need a break, too.’
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‘I teach a class on ethics.’
‘IT’S CALLED COMPASSION FOR YOUR READERS!!!’
‘I’m sorry you went through that.’
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‘I love studying silence writing techniques. I think they are the most amazing aspect of writing because blah blah
etc
blah blah breakout room blah blah
etc
blah blah go.’
silence is golden
‘I lived in Japan for 20 years so his story just seems like a normal conversation to me. That’s how Japanese people speak to each other. Their culture values respect and hierarchy. The son’s responses show great respect to his father. Even though the son has different values, he would never discuss them or any part of his life which reflects them because that would show disrespect to his father. In our Western culture, we’re taught to talk on and on about all our feelings and give all our opinions. From a Japanese perspective, it just seems vulgar. Telling everyone your feelings in Japan is irrelevant. What is relevant is making sure you don’t upset other people in the group. Silence is a great way to show respect and to defer to hierarchy.’
‘There are many techniques for writing silence and incorporating that into your narrative. It allows blaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAHHHHHHH’
!
‘I teach a class on ethics of writing.
‘SHOW YOUR READERS COMPASSION!!!’
‘I’m sorry you went through that.’
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‘No, come into the clinic.’
‘No, it’s ok. I’m just, still, I’m just in shock. No one came to see him. No one called. No one showed him any care.’
‘How about you?’
‘Nup.’
‘Come into the clinic. I’m waiting here for you.’
‘No, it’s too late. The clinic closes soon. It’s OK.’
‘It’s my pleasure to talk with you so come in and we can talk more about it. You obviously need to talk to someone. Who else have you talked to about his suicide attempt?’
‘No one in this country. I don’t really have anyone to talk to. Making friends takes a while and I only moved into the city a few months ago.’
‘OK. Come in. How soon can you get here?’
‘Oh, I only live 5 minutes’ walk away.’
‘Good. I’ll see you soon?’
‘Yeah, OK. I’m on my way.’
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‘I’m so sorry you went through that.’