Theme Of Darkness In Kitchen

People often think that during their darkest times, there is no hope. However, in Kitchen this theory is proven wrong. In the beginning of Kitchen, Mikage is faced with the death of her grandmother, the last living blood relative. The death of her grandmother leaves Mikage in the dark, feeling hopeless and lonely without a sense of belonging to a family. Then during her stay with Eriko and Yuichi, Mikage finds her new light, meaning that she has created a new family with Eriko and Yuichi. Later, Eriko passes away, devastating Mikage. She is once again left hopeless and in the dark, missing a part of her family. However, the light found within the darkness serves as hope for finding family, portraying that in life, there is an inherent balance …show more content…
Mikage reveals her deep sadness after the deaths of both her grandmother and Eriko through her descriptions of darkness. For example, she notes that the “door to the grave” has opened after Eriko 's death (54). This reflects the mood of the scene: darkness, sadness, violence and depression. While reflecting upon Eriko 's death, she concludes that “truly great people emit light that warms the heart of those around them. When that light has been put out, a heavy shadow of despair descends” (55). Eriko was her light, bringing her out of the darkness and now that she is gone, Mikage is once again left in the dark. Eriko radiates happiness and was a unique, special woman who deeply impacted Mikage. As a result, Mikage is left feeling lonely and empty. This accurately illustrates Mikage 's relationship with Eriko and the impact she had on her. While Mikage is outside the, “bare trees are sharply silhouetted and a cold wind was seeping through” (86). The bare trees represent Mikage 's emptiness and the cold wind signifies her despair after Eriko’s …show more content…
While Mikage is bringing food to Yuichi she spots a “shadowless moon” (94). This phrase implies that there is immense light being radiated from the moon, something that is seen as positive and beneficial during Mikage 's journey. However, if one analyzes the words further, it will be seen that although the moon is seen as something good because it emits light, it is out during the night, which denotes depression. This depicts that even amidst Mikage 's joy of returning to Yuichi, there is still some sadness within her, proving that there is darkness found in light. Even though Mikage has found her new light, she is partially in the dark because she is still healing from the loss of her family members, both blood and non- blood related. While remembering her grandmother, Mikage sees “white steam rising in the dark out of a brightly lit window overhead” (35). This picture of light shining in the darkness illustrates how even in what may seem like one’s darkest times, happiness can be found. In this scene, Mikage is mourning the loss of her grandmother, but she finds happiness in spotting a kitchen. The kitchen serves as her safe haven in times of despair and difficulty. Late at night when Mikage cannot sleep, she awakes and finds herself in the “black of night, under the kitchen light” (40). This exemplifies that there is hope during dark times. Even after her grandmother 's death, Mikage can find happiness