Julia Lederman asked this question about Convenience Store Woman:
I loved the book, but I was a bit confused as to why it never seemed to be considered that Keiko could be promoted to management in the convenience store. With her experience and knowledge of store operations, one would think that despite her quirks, a promotion would at least have been considered over her 18 years there. Perhaps the rules are very different in Japan, or could this be something that the author missed?
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 h…moreI 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. (less)
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