Gud pluggar ibland.

A Family Supper by Kazuo Ishiguro
Sara Graner Tyllman
SP1B

Questions
1. The title, A Family Supper, indicates on the most intimate drama which takes place within the family. The conflict might consist of a family tiff or anything else that occurs in most households.
2. The relationship between the two grown-up children and the father is quite strained. The common denominator is that both the son and the daughter have left home for studies. Without the mother, who has died recently, the unit that she and the father constituted of during the children’s’ upbringing is disbanded and he stands alone. Therefore you can come to the conclusion that he is now more unsecure about starting quarrels with his children. The roles have changed.
3. You quite often sense many restrained feelings, especially when reading the conversations between the children and the father. The son is using a very strict, taciturn language. It is easy to imagine that they tiptoe during the conversations, trying to not upset anyone. An argue or anything similar would surely start off something much bigger than just a tiny quarrel.
“’I’ve come to believe now that there were no evil intentions in your mind’, my father continued. ‘You were swayed by certain – influences. Like so many others.’‘Perhaps we should forget it, as you suggest.’
‘As you will. More tea?’”
The “certain - influences”-pause expresses repressed emotions concerning the subject and the quick ending of the spoken subject tells the reader that a further discussion could result in something they both would like to avoid.
4. According to me, the main conflict is what is to happen now since the mother is dead, where the children are to live, if they should continue their studies, what the father will do during the rest of his life and most important – how their relationships will change.
5. I do not find any ambiguous passages.
6. The conflict is brought to conversations in the form of visibly brief questions, but is never really clear and solved.

Vocabulary
Gland – An organ that secretes substances
GLAND The sweat ______ is the reason why we sweat. KÖRTEL

Regrettably – A synonym to “sadly enough” or “unfortunately “
REGRETTABLY ________________, my old classmate was dead since three days ago. TYVÄRR, DESSVÄRRE

Impose – To introduce
IMPOSE Since we ___________ pocket money, our children consume much more candy than before. INFÖRA

Strained – When things are unnatural and forcedSTRAINED The dinner had been ____________ since the appetizer. ANSTRÄNGD

Stony – Filled with stones and rocks
STONY The canyon was very ________ and inhospitable. FULL AV STENAR OCH KLIPPOR


Retrospect – Flashback
RETROSPECT The end of the story is a huge ________________. ÅTERBLICK

Comparison – Comparing
COMPARISON But then again, what is a heartbeat in _____________ to your love? JÄMFÖRELSE

Inevitably – Not possible to avoid
INEVITABLY ________________, we all went away in the end. OUNDVIKLIGEN

Venture – To dare
VENTURE Nothing ______________, nothing gained. VÅGA

Excessively – Exaggerated
EXCESSIVELY Her laughter was way too _______________. ÖVERDRIVETInhibit – Restrain
INHIBIT His presence ____________ her from telling what she really thought. HÄMMAShrub – Bush
SHRUB I could see him hiding behind the ________. BUSKE

Persist – To be obstinate
PERSIST She __________ in letting the black pieces start when playing chess. ENVISAS