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Part IV, Chapter 2: Ruth
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) Nao writes that she will really miss her reader, even though the reader won’t even exist until he or she starts reading the diary. Nao doesn’t think she would recognize her reader if they ever meet. She doesn’t want her reader to worry about her, so she mentions that things have started working out for her.
As Nao gets to the end of the diary, her life has settled down. She feels strong enough to live without the crutch of her reader, and she no longer feels lonely, since she knows that Haruki won’t leave her.
Themes
Some days after Jiko’s funeral, Haruki and Nao read the translation of Haruki #1’s French diary. When they got to the part where Haruki #1 said he planned to fly his plane into the ocean rather than at the enemy’s warship, they were surprised. Nao understood and supported Haruki #1’s decision. Haruki, however, became very upset, which surprised Nao. He locked himself in the bathroom and sobbed loudly.
Haruki likely has such a strong reaction to Haruki #1’s plan because it reminds him of his own life—perhaps suicide is the link between them, or perhaps there’s a deeper connection that only Haruki recognizes.
Themes
Later, Haruki explained that the reason he’d been overwhelmed was because he, too, had faced a similar situation when he worked in America. Haruki had developed a software interface that his company was selling to a defense contractor. Since Haruki protested so vocally against this, he was fired. Nao was shocked to hear this—she thought that her father was a “superhero” for standing up for his beliefs, and she realized how wrong she’d been about him all along.
The reason why Haruki was so moved by Haruki #1’s gesture is because it was so much like his own. Whereas Haruki #1 flew his plane into the ocean as an act of protest against the war, Haruki lost his prestigious career because he was morally opposed to his technology being used by a defense contractor. Having found out the truth about why Haruki lost his job, Nao recognized that he was a hero, just like Haruki #1. The secret diary that Ruth left inside Haruki #1’s white box ended up healing and cementing Nao’s and Haruki’s relationship. It also showed Nao that her father was honorable and worthy of respect, just like Haruki #1.
Themes
Haruki said that he’d felt ashamed and guilty that Nao and Tomoko had to suffer for his decision. After 9/11, his guilt worsened, because he knew that American pilots would use his interface to bomb Afghanis and Iraqis. He explained that he’d been so preoccupied with his troubles that he’d paid no attention to Nao’s.
Nao always thought that Haruki’s desire to kill himself was a completely selfish one. Now, she realized that he was troubled because he was guilty that he might have caused others’ death and suffering.
Themes
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Haruki then asked Nao about the Panty Incident and all the bullying she’d faced at school. She told him everything. Ever since, Haruki had been working very hard at his computer, though Nao didn’t know what he was building. She says that he has found his “superpower”: computer programming.
Nao and Haruki were finally communicating openly with each other, and this helped Haruki devise a way to help her. While Nao doesn’t know what her father is working on, Ruth knows because of Dr. Leistiko’s email.
Themes
Nao tells her reader that she and her dad are doing really well; neither of them wants to kill themselves. Nao promises to buy a new notebook and write about Jiko, like she’d initially planned to in this diary. She doesn’t want to forget any details about Jiko and her life, so she wants to write them all down quickly, since memories are also “time beings”—they’re beautiful until they fade away and die.
Nao acknowledges that memories, too, are impermanent and fleeting, much like the beautiful cherry blossoms she observed falling off the tree. This is why she wants to write about Jiko before she forgets details about her.
Themes
