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Convenience Store Woman,
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Paula
If she was management she would have to relate and connect to people which would complicate her happiness which comes from the simplicity of her role at the store. That is my take anyway.
Denise
That's a good question, but I think it might have been the sort of thing where she would have to apply, and she just didn't.
Emily
I also wondered about this, and my theory is that a) she never expressed interest in moving up to management and b) she was not beloved enough by her co-workers to be nominated/considered, and/or previous managers found her social interaction style to be incompatible with the needs of a manager position
Lady Willpower
Good question! I wonder if it's because Keiko didn't show an interest in being promoted.
Flighty_Z
I thought this too, but I think part of the order and logic of the convenience store for her, was that there was always "manager" (manager #8 etc.)
It was part of her duty to report to "manager", and I don't think she could have became that role herself necessarily, as she only saw herself in the role of "convenience store worker" ?
It was part of her duty to report to "manager", and I don't think she could have became that role herself necessarily, as she only saw herself in the role of "convenience store worker" ?
Anne
The author did this job herself for a very long time, so I don't think she ''missed'' or misjudged it. It might have something to do with Keiko's difficulty with social skills
Bailey
I found myself wondering why Keiko couldn't become a manager herself as I was reading, but I think that misses the thematic point of the book. Keiko has found her place in the world where she feels fully competent and in command. She seems to want for nothing (besides for people to stop judging her life) and her biggest problem is that people can't accept the fact that she is perfectly happy with her life as it is. Speaking as an American, our culture is very built around the idea that you should always be striving to climb up the next rung of the ladder or to reach the next step on the road of acceptable life accomplishments (having a partner, getting married, having children) and it seems from what everyone around Keiko said to her that they expected much the same to feel that she was normal. I think it's enviable that Keiko gets such total fulfillment from her life and I think the author's point was that we don't really know what to do with people who aren't dissatisfied and wanting more.
Christine Pellens
True, plus I feel people would have asked Keiko why she doesn't want or consider being a manager at the store. It seems less of a leap for her to consider doing this in order to fit in with society and meets expectation, then getting a random boyfriend to marry. But on the other hand store manager also seems to be considered a very low position, so it probably wouldn't have been enough...
Mary
I agree that she likes her role as worker but also all the managers are men. In Japan in 2023 only 10% of people working as managers were women. Even if she wanted to take on that role it is very unlikely she would be hired.
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