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) Dr. Leistiko finally writes Ruth back: he says that it is likely that the “Harry” from the letter is the person Ruth is looking for. Haruki Yasutani was Leistiko’s friend in the ’90s when he was an engineer in Silicon Valley. Leistiko says that he and Yasutani gradually lost touch after he moved back to Japan, and that they haven’t communicated in many years.
Ruth seems to have tracked down an old friend of Haruki’s through a lucky coincidence. This is yet another example of how people from very different walks of life can actually connected by common associations.
Themes
Leistiko says that Haruki was having qualms about his engineering work for a gaming company being reused for a defense project. Haruki wondered if it was possible to make technology with a conscience—machines that would refuse to kill. His employer asked him to stop working on this, and Haruki refused. This was the reason he was ultimately fired.
This is the first time that Ruth—and readers—hear about the true reason that Haruki was fired from his Silicon Valley job. He wasn’t simply laid off—he was punished for standing up for his beliefs. Nao, too, seems to have had no idea about this. If Haruki had spoken to her about it, she might have had more respect for him, as Haruki’s anti-war stance mirrors Haruki #1’s.
Themes
After Haruki moved back to Japan, and Leistiko continued his research on “cultural influences on suicide,” he received a “beautiful and moving cry for help” from Haruki, which Leistiko excerpted on his website. Leistiko suggested to Haruki that he should get professional help, but he doesn’t know if Haruki actually did. Soon after, a virus obliterated all of Leistiko’s computer files, and he even lost Haruki’s email ID. Leistiko wonders why Ruth is concerned about Haruki’s daughter’s well-being.
Leistiko interpreted Haruki’s letter to him as being a “moving cry for help,” implying that Haruki didn’t really want to die and was, in fact, looking for a reason to live.
Themes
(2) Ruth immediately emails Leistiko back, explaining how she found the diary and why she is concerned about Nao’s safety. When she tells Oliver about the email, he’s puzzled that Ruth still thinks the matter is of great “urgency,” since Nao was 16 during 9/11, and that was more than a decade ago. Ruth is very embarrassed to admit that she forgot that so much time has passed since then.
Ruth is so preoccupied by Nao’s diary that she failed to register how much time has passed since Nao wrote it. This is evidence of Nao’s point that time is like a “slippery fish”—it can easily slip away from people without them realizing it. Ruth feels especially annoyed at her forgetfulness since she is already sensitive about her memory, and she sees any memory lapses as potential symptoms of Alzheimer’s. She is terrified that she will get Alzheimer’s, just like her mother did.
Themes
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(3) Ruth tells Oliver that she got confused, and that Nao will always be 16 to her. Ruth also realizes that Nao didn’t know about Haruki’s morality and courage, which was why he was fired from his Silicon Valley job. Ruth is sad that it is too late to tell Nao this and help her, but Oliver says that she owes it to Nao to keep reading. Then, he also mentions that his cat is missing, and that he is worried about it.
Ruth now realizes that she and Nao are separated by time. Until this point, she was convinced that she might be able to find Nao and help her, but she now thinks that it is too late for her to make any difference in Nao’s life.
Themes
(4) Benoit’s wife calls Ruth to come pick up the translation of the French diary. When Ruth goes to Benoit’s house, she sees that Benoit is drunk and distraught, and he tells her that the diary is full of suffering. Ruth apologizes to his wife for upsetting Benoit, but his wife tells her it is not just the diary—his little dog was eaten by wolves the previous night, which is why Benoit is doubly distressed.
Benoit’s reaction is a warning to Ruth that Haruki #1’s diary is dark and depressing. Also, Benoit’s pet dog went missing and was found dead, which doesn’t bode well for Oliver’s missing cat.
Themes
