Sweet Bean Paste

Consider the novel’s interest in the idea of effort and method. How does sweet bean paste reflect the connection between labor and craft?

Compare and contrast the Doraharu shop and the Tenshoen sanatorium as primary settings in the novel. In what ways does each space function as both a site of imprisonment and a potential source of freedom for the characters?

Research the East Asian plot structure called kishotenketsu: a narrative that builds meaning via contrast rather than conflict. In such stories, there are no real antagonists; instead, the plot is driven by external forces acting on characters without intentional malice. How does this novel adapt this type of narrative structure? How does it subvert it?

How does the recurring motif of “Listening” in Sweet Bean Paste evolve from a culinary practice into a broader philosophy that connects perception, empathy, and the imagination?

In its final chapters, Sweet Bean Paste shifts away from linear action to rely on dreams, letters, and secondhand testimony. How does this narrative technique develop the novel’s themes and affect characterization?

Examine the role of beauty in the novel. How do the appearances of people and objects influence those around them? Is beauty a positive or negative value?

The novel establishes Sentaro and Tokue as character foils with opposing views on labor and purpose. Examine how their evolving relationship critiques modern alienation and champions mindful effort.

Drawing on the novel’s sociohistorical context of Japan’s former leprosy sanatoriums, analyze how Tokue’s philosophy of bearing witness serves as a form of resistance against a society that sought to erase her existence.