55 pages • 1 hour read
Toshikazu Kawaguchi, Transl. Geoffrey TrousselotBefore the Coffee Gets Cold
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2015A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Essay Topics
How does Kawaguchi employ the motif of coffee in the novel? To what extent is coffee’s role in Japanese history an important one for understanding time travel?
How might Japanese and Western readers respond differently to the theme of From Individualism to Unity in the novel? Refer to at least two parts in your answer.
Why is Fumiko such an important character in Kawaguchi’s novel? How could her experiences condition reader expectations?
How would you describe the differences between the men and women in the novel? Why is it significant that all the time travelers are women?
What role do the passage of time and timelessness play in the novel? How does the café’s setup facilitate time travel?
How does Kawaguchi portray The Constraints of Time Travel? To what extent does this differ from the traditions of Japanese time travel fiction?
What is the main function of time travel in the novel? With close reference to the text, explain how it changes the characters’ lives.
How does Kawaguchi convey the atmosphere of a café in his novel? Consider both the story’s structure and the events that take place.
What role does memory play in the novel? How is memory an aid to time travel?
How does Kawaguchi describe the relationships between women? Are these more or less important than women’s relationships with men? Why?
