In this chapter the word superstition gets used a lot and is very powerful with Kiyoshi’s mother and how she lives her life. The word superstition is commonly applied to beliefs and practices surrounding luck, prophecy, and spiritual beliefs. It is particularly the belief that future events can be foretold by specific unrelated prior events.
Kiyoshi’s mother had more superstitions than most people and would talk about dying and she believed it would happen. When she ended up in the hospital after she fainted for the second time she wanted the same bed as before because it was a lucky one. Her family believes that she does believe way too much in superstitions and that she over-worries about everything. It didn’t matter if it was food, health or word related she had a superstition about everything. An example of it being food related was when she talked about rice and how it always had to be scooped twice from the big bowl to your bowl. The double scooping protected the family from seeing a second mother, meaning your first mother wouldn’t die or run away. The word that she talks about is shi-ni-iku which means to go to die. This has to do with your age and that the bad luck came from the shi part of the word. It could be the number four or death. When father was forty two years old, mother worried because the number forty two was bad luck and it was pronounced shi-ni.
After reading this chapter I can’t believe how much his mother relied on superstitions. I don’t really believe in them but I do believe in karma. They were a big part in they way she lived and raised her family. Yes everyone thought she was crazy but this was her way of living. I think it is also a way for her to know when her time is up and that she would be leaving. The whole part on numbers and how they are bad luck I have heard that before but not the number forty two, it seems so random. Mothers have a way of living that sometimes we don’t understand but they have their reasons for doing it.
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I like the question that you have come up with for your diolgue in part 2 of "All I Asking For is My Body". I feel that your question and response was very important. This is important because "superstitious" is a major factor in part 2. I also like how you add your feelings to your dialogue.
ReplyDeleteHi Debbie,
ReplyDeleteI like that you’ve included a definition of “superstition.” You have me thinking about the connotation of this word, or the associations and feelings we attribute to the word. It’s often viewed in a very negative light, and there’s a way people can be discounted and dismissed by being called superstitious.
Part of her problem is the fact that Kiyoshi’s mother doesn’t understand why things are so bad for her family, so she seems to be looking for answers and is trying to ward off “bad luck” through her habits.
Thanks for giving me more to think about!
Lauren :)
Hi Deb,
ReplyDeleteI really liked that you did not re-tell the story but gave your thoughts. I think it helps us all to understand the story when people give their reactions as opposed to a summary ;) I like how you mentioned that Kiyos mother raised her family around her superstitions. I think they got the bettr of her and she lived in fear a lot of the time.
yes i agree with what everyone has commented about!I really like how you talked about your thoughts of part 2! everyone did think she was crazy but that just was her way of living i like that! good job!
ReplyDeleteNiki
I agree with you. In a way I think that the mother is too worriede about superstitious and she is just hurtng herself by thinking about it all the time and watching out for all these little things.
ReplyDelete