A Pale View of Hills

Why does Etsuko say “we” in her last words to Mariko?

In the last section of Chapter 10, Etsuko starts talking to Mariko as if she was her mother, not just a neighbour. Consider why this is. Also, what is “this” which Mariko says Etsuko is holding and which Etsuko says was “caught around my sandal”? This section forces the reader to review what the whole book was about, about how we use our memories to reinvent - or at least review - our past.

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Last updated by Monica J #1059592
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Because Etsuko and Sachiko are actually the same person. Etsuko is recalling and telling her own story.

But it's too miserable, so she tells the story as if it's another person.

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