Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in A Tale for the Time Being, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Time, Impermanence, and the Present
The Difficulty of Communication
Life vs. Death
Coincidences and Connections
Sexual Perversion and Violence
Summary
Analysis
(1) As Nao read Haruki #1’s letters, she felt ashamed for making a fuss about the bullying she experienced, since he went through so much more. She realized that Haruki #1 was not much older than she was—he was only 19—and yet he’d studied so hard and knew so much. In comparison to him, Nao felt pathetic.
Haruki #1’s letters ended up changing Nao’s perception about her own life. Previously, she believed that her life was unbearable, but she ended up realizing that it wasn’t as bad as Haruki #1’s.
Themes
One day, Nao saw Haruki making an origami beetle out of a page from a book on Heidegger. This irritated Nao because she remembered that Haruki #1 studied Heidegger seriously. She told Haruki that his uncle actually studied philosophy rather than childishly playing with origami. Nao said that she had his letters, and that Haruki should probably read them too, so he could stop feeling sorry for himself. Nao told him to be more like his uncle. Haruki went pale and quietly said that she was right.
Nao saw no similarity between the noble Haruki #1 and her own father, who seemed pathetic to her as he sat around the house making paper bugs. Haruki seemed very hurt by the harsh verdict Nao passed about him, but he accepted it quietly and agreed with her—clearly, Nao and Haruki are still struggling to communicate.
Themes
(2) When school started again, Nao was determined to be calm and use her “superpower.” On the first day, her heart was pounding, but she didn’t feel afraid—and the kids ended up leaving her alone. Haruki #1’s letters made Nao feel ashamed of how little she knew, so she started to pay attention in her classes and especially enjoyed science. Then, in November, her father attempted suicide again.
In the brief respite that Nao got from the bullying at her school, she ended up becoming a curious and interested student. This shows that when given a chance, Nao loved learning—and by, extension, living. Haruki #1 was also a passionate scholar, which was evidence of his interest in all that life had to offer. This highlights the connection between Nao and her great-uncle.
Themes
(3) Nao writes that she’d have to back up to September 11 in order to explain it properly. Late on the night of September 11, Nao found Haruki sitting in front of the TV. On the screen was the image of two skyscrapers with smoke coming out of them. At first, Nao thought it was a movie, but she soon realized that it was the news. Haruki told her that this was happening in New York, and that it was a suspected terror attack. Nao reached for his hand as they watched the tiny shapes of people jumping out of buildings. They watched as the towers fell and people ran screaming. Haruki spent days staring at these images on the news.
Just like Ruth was obsessed with news footage from the tsunami, Haruki was fixated on the news footage from 9/11. This event, like the tsunami, was quick and destructive, and it resulted in many deaths. This once again shows the destructive potential and inescapable nature of change. Since Haruki #1 was a kamikaze pilot, his work was much like the suicide bombers who carried out the terrorist attack. With this in mind, this attack also suggests that Haruki #1 likely caused violence and death for his American victims.
Themes
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(4) Haruki became obsessed with the people who jumped out of the Twin Towers, and he looked for them on the internet. He found the picture of the Falling Man, which was a famous photograph of a man falling head down, with the steel building behind him. Haruki spent hours staring at it.
Much like Ruth after the tsunami, Haruki seemed to be very invested in the tragedy and in the people who were affected by it.
Themes
(5) After Haruki attempted suicide, the idea of killing herself began to make sense to Nao. She began to think that if she was going to die anyway, she might as well just get it over with. Nao thinks that the best way to die would be to jump off a cliff near Jiko’s temple. She would think fondly about Jiko and jump into the Pacific Ocean, where her remains would join Haruki #1’s.
Haruki’s suicide attempts filled Nao with a deep sadness, which is why she first thought of killing herself. However, her justification for suicide is similar to the idea that Haruki #1 expressed in his letter about how he preferred to have control over the moment of his death. The difference is that Haruki #1 had no choice but to die, whereas Nao can choose to live.
Themes
