Overview
It’s been two years since the last novel by You Ashizawa.
- (2022-06-12) You Ashizawa "Smoke Where There's No Fire"
- (2022-07-20) You Ashizawa "The Margin of Sin"
As usual, I borrowed these from my roommate and read them. Here are some summaries and thoughts.
Summary
- Mayuko-san, suffering from postpartum depression, accidentally swaps the name tags of her baby and Ikue-san’s baby.
- She is tormented by guilt but keeps it secret for four years.
- The switch is discovered through a DNA test done for an unrelated infidelity investigation.
- The swap isn't traced back to Mayuko-san; instead, it’s chalked up to an unidentified issue at the Direct Birth Clinic.
- Mayuko-san's mentally unstable mother attempts to sue, leading to media coverage that could harm the children’s future.
- To prevent this, Mayuko-san finally confesses.
- Both children end up being adopted by Ikue-san and her husband.
- Everyone blames Mayuko-san, but at one point, Ikue-san wonders, "Why did she ever take off the baby’s name tag?" It’s something she never considered before.
Thoughts
- Regarding why the name tag was removed, it’s because Mayuko-san was under immense psychological stress both before and after giving birth, along with a lack of mental health support. The insensitive remarks from those around her and her spouse's apathy played a part.
- No one in the story even contemplates this perspective.
Baby switched = Unfit mother, unforgivable
- …This equation is all that is depicted, and it’s considered adequate by general societal standards—for casual conversations, this level of moral understanding is sufficient.
- However, the inclusion of Ikue-san's thoughts at the end, pondering why Mayuko-san confessed when she could have hidden it forever, suggests the answer is clear: Mayuko-san confessed because her mother's lawsuit would bring the case to light, causing distress for the children. Mayuko-san, therefore, chose her children's wellbeing over keeping her secret, showing she is not a heartless criminal.
- This novel seems to highlight how quickly people can stop thinking critically and simply categorize situations in ways that are easy to understand.
- Even with caution, it’s impossible to be completely free from preconceptions. The characters in this story are not portrayed as rash, but even Ikue-san, for instance, continued to believe that Mayuko-san disliked bugs.
Maybe Mayu-chan also dislikes bugs after all. …(omitted)… She probably never showed any aversion to bugs in front of Kota, who loves them.
- This was a particularly striking passage for me. Humans are too warm for earthworms, so Mayuko-san avoids direct contact, but Ikue-san interprets this as Mayuko-san disliking earthworms, leading her to a good impression of her as “a good mother,” which is entirely incorrect.
- Viewing Mayuko-san as “unforgivable,” “something I would never do,” or “completely unsympathetic” is a danger. Such unequivocal thoughts are a form of cognitive shutdown—rejecting any understanding beyond what is easily comprehensible. Because even Mayuko-san thought this way before becoming a mother.
Before having a child, whenever I saw news about parents abusing their children, it was like getting a grain of sand in my mouth. …(omitted)… But how different am I really from those mothers?
- With such a scene prepared, it's clear that this is what the author wants to express. In this reading, I feel like I've properly received the message the work wanted to convey. But still, it’s natural to form some preconceptions, isn’t it?
Additionally, just some scattered thoughts.
- Good people, unpleasant people, good traits, bad traits, it’s all painted vividly.
- Favorite passage: Mayuko-san describing her husband Asahi-san. “Oh, how wholesome he is.” Nice, isn’t it? How wholesome. I quite like the phrase “Neaka” (inherently cheerful), but the phrase “Oh, how wholesome he is,” is very close to my idea of “Neaka.” Not just “wholesome.” “Oh, how wholesome he is.”
