Here is an alternative positive ending to the story: Kikuko soon returned with the tea. As they began to drink, Kikuko engaged her father in cheerful conversation about her studies and plans for the future. Her lightheartedness seemed to ease some of the tension in the room. The narrator watched his father slowly relax and join in the discussion. For the first time, he saw a smile emerge on his father's stern face as he listened proudly to Kikuko's accomplishments. Sensing the opening, the narrator then asked his father gentle questions about his work and life in the past years. To his surprise, his father opened up and the two were soon engaged in their own thoughtful dialogue.

1. FUGU: THE DEADLY
DELICACY

2. Fugu is a Japanese name and it means Pacific Ocean Native Fish, better known as fugu
fish.
Fugu fish is a member of Tetraodontoid family, these types of fishes are extremely toxic
and they tend to expand their bodies by up to an astonishing 300 times! They are
generally very unattractive however they have a unique ability to puff their bodies and
expand, some even have razor sharp spikes that come out for their protection.
Fugu fish is also known as blowfish or even balloon fish and he is able to stretch its body
due to its reinforced collagen fibers, the fish pumps air of water into his stomach and the
collagen fibers stretches making him 300 times bigger and wider!
This astonishing ability of the fugu fish makes extremely hard for the predators to eat or
swallow him. Once he is inside of the predators mouth or even stomach, he can still
stretch his body making the predator no choice but to letting him out. However if for
some reason the fugufish is killed and swallowed, the extreme fugu fish skin toxins can
still kill some small predator fishes.

3. The fugu fish has a beak like mouth with strong jaws, however it has also one big
disadvantage, the teeth and muscle arrangement of fugufish makes him little slower to
commit a bite. This allows plenty of time to small and faster fishes to swim away
quickly without getting swallowed by the fugu fish.
As mentioned earlier, fugu fish extremely toxic, here are some of his toxic organs:
ovaries, testicles, skin, muscles and particularly the liver! It contains high level of
tetrodotoxin, a powerful poison. Tetrodotoxin is 1,200 times deadlier than cyanide, and
one fish contains enough poison to kill 30 people. Acting mainly on the nervous
system, the symptoms in order of severity are:
Physical discomfort
Pallor
•Rapid weak pulse
•Respiratory distress/arrest
•Death
•Dizziness
•Prickling or tingling of the mouth
•Vomiting
•Diarrhoea
There is no known antidote. And this fish
•Numbness
is considered a delicacy in Japan. There
are lots of tasty fans there that would
love to adventure and eat this poisonous
•Hypersalivation
fish, and a lot of them have died eating
•Sweating
it!
•Weakness
•Subnormal temperature
•Hypotension

4. A family supper – Kazuo Ishiguro
Exploring the short story
Completing the table
Family Supper
Title
Family Supper
Author
Kazuo Ishiguro
Number of pages
Ten
Main characters
Narrator; narrators’s father; Kikuko
(narrator’s sister)
Other characters
Suichi; Vicky; Watanabe-San

5. About the Author
Name
Kazuo Ishiguro
Date of Birth
8th November 1954
Birthplace
Nagasaki
Family
His parents moved to England in 1960
Studies
Was schooled at the University of Kent and the
University of East Anglia
Dream Job
Being a musician
Music publishers´ reaction
Found his music hideous
Reasons for writing
Definition of international novel
First publication
Other publications
Civil Status
Awards
A consolation for something that got broken
A novel that contains a vision of life that is of
importance to people of varied backgrounds
around the world
A Pale View of Hills
An Artist of the Floating World; The Remains of
the Day; The Unconsoled
Married
Winifred Holtby Prize; Whitebread Book of the
Year; Booker Prize

6. First impressions about the story
“ At the time of my mother’s death, I was livig in California. My relationship with my parents had
become somewhat strained around that period, and consequently I did not learn of the
circumstances surrounding her death until I returned to Tokyo two years later. Apparently, my
mother had always refused to eat Fugu, but on this particular occasion she had made an
exception on having been invited by an old schoolfriend whom she was anxious not to offend. It
was my father who supplied me with the details as we drove from the airport to his house in the
Kamura district. When we finally arrived, it was nearing the end of a sunny autumn day.”
He was in California
His mother
dies
Never in his mother life she had eaten Fugu
When she decides to eat Fugu, she dies!
It is his father that tells him about the
details of his mother death.

7. The action takes place
“sitting on
the tatami
floor of his
tea room.”
At the house of the
narrator’s parents
At dinner time
In Kamakura District
TOKYO

8. On a sunny autumn day
TIME
Late
afternoon
and
evening
“ When we finally arrived,it was nearing the end of a sunny autumn day.”

9. Family relationships
THE STORY
DEALS
WITH
The author had a strained relationship with his father
We can notice a tense atmosphere between the members of the
family
“His general presence was not one which encouraged relaxed conversation; neither were
things helped much by his odd way of stating each remark as if it were the concluding
one. In fact, as I sat opposite him that afternoon, a boyhood memory came back to me of
the time he had struck me several times around the head for “chattering like an old
woman”.”

10. After the arrival of his sister, the dialogue between them was franker and showed their
need for freedom
“Just then a girl’s voice came echoing through the house. “At last.” My father rose to
his feet.”Kikuko has arrived.” Despite our difference in years, my sister and I had
always been close. Seeing me again seemed to make her excessively excited and for a
while she did nothing but giggle nervously. But she calmed down somewhat when my
father started to question her about Osaka and her University. She answered him with
short formal replies. She in turn asked me a few questions, but she seemed inhibited
by the fear that her questions might lead to awkward topics. After a while, the
conversation had become even sparser than prior to Kikuko’s arrival. Then my father
stood up, saying: “I must attend to supper. Please excuse me for being burdened
down by such matters. Kikuko willlook after you.” My sister relaxed quite visibly once
he had left the room. Whitin a few minutes, she was chatting freely about her friends
in Osaka and about her classes at University.”

11. The characters
THE NARRATOR’S PORTRAIT
PHYSICAL
PSYCHOLOGICAL
In the story we are not told about his
real age, but we can inference that he
is young, probably between 23, 25
years.
As he was living in California, we can
say he is an independent young man;
observant; a somewhat insecure ( he
doesn´t know what its planes for the
future will be ); tactful and wise.

12. THE NARRATOR´S FATHER´S PORTRAIT
PHYSICAL
A large stony jaw and furious
black eyebrows.
PSYCOLOGICAL
Disciplinarian, conservative,
authoritarian, honest, lonely,
cold.
“My father was a formidable looking man with a large stony jaw and furious
black eyebrows. … proud of the pure samurai blood that ran in the family. … His
general presence was not one which encouraged relaxed conversation; … odd
way one. “

13. THE NARRATOR´S SISTER´S PORTRAIT
PHYSICAL
PSYCHOLOGICAL
As she is studying at Osaka´s
University she is between 19, 20.
Nervous, energetic, modern,
irreverent.
“… excessively excited… giggle nervously… chatting freely…”
“I´ve been dying for a smoke…”; “If we go, we´re going to hitch-hike.” “And
Suichi – I like him, but I`m not sure I want to spend so much time with him.” …

14. The story
is built
Upon the characters
The relation between father, son and daughter
The main character is the father
He hopes / wishes the reconciliation with his returning son.

15. “I followed my father from room to room. I had forgotten how large the house was. A panel
would slide open and another room would appear. But the rooms were all startlingly empty.”
The question
is why?
“This house is too large for a man to live in alone.”
“I don’t have much use for most of these rooms now.”
“Since the firm folded. I have a little more time on my hands.”

16. … For a moment his face looked almost gentle. “A little more time.”
“That seems odd”, I said. “You were always so busy.”
“Too busy perhaps.” He looked at me with a small smile. “Perhaps I should have been a
more attentive father.”
“There are other things besides work.”
“If you wish to stay here, I mean here in this house, you would be very welcome.
That is, if you don’t mind living with an old man.”
“Kikuko is due to complete her studies next spring”, he said. “Perhaps she will
want to come home then. She´s a good girl.”
“Perhaps she will.”
“Things will improve then.”
“Yes, I`m sure they will.”

17. He is an old man
He feels completely alone
He is trying
to be…
He wants to conquer his
son´s love and trust
Gentle
Good humoured
Comprehensive
human

18. “We fell silent once more, waiting for Kikuko to bring the tea.”
Give another ending to the story