One aspect of Ozeki’s novel that I found particularly interesting was its treatment of the theme of misplaced trust. It is shown in multiple places and between multiple people and institutions in the novel. For example, Beef-Ex and the entire production crew of My American Wife! initially place their trust in Jane to fulfill their requests and deliver shows full of “perfect American families” and lots of red meat, only to be disappointed when she shows the real America: colorful, diverse, and not always carnivorous.
My American Wife! also led to disappointment for many of the wives and their families. There was an implied trust between the wives and their families and Jane and her crew that was betrayed in more than one instance. Lara and Dyann were disappointed by Jane’s failure to mention the show’s sponsor; Helen Dawes and her family eventually allowed Jane and Joichi into their church and home only to be disappointed by the ultimate decision to use another family for the show.
Marriage is an institution in which trust is assumed to play a large part. However, it is a very misplaced trust in the case of Akiko and Joichi. Akiko cannot trust her husband emotionally or physically. Joichi abuses her in both aspects, and ignores the vow that marriage includes. Also playing a role in Joichi’s betrayal is his affinity for various substances and strippers in Texas.
Perhaps the most important instances of misplaced trust are those that, unbeknownst to the general public, result in endangerment of health. These are the aspects of Ozeki’s novel that influenced me the most. What startled me the most was the realization that I put in institutions that I do not necessarily know anything about. For example, most people trust their doctors unquestioningly, but in the case of Jane’s mother, it resulted in catastrophe for Jane.
I grew up eating meat from my grandparents and aunts and uncles, so the idea of unsafe hormones and conditions for livestock were things that never crossed my mind. Of course I had read stories and heard tell of unsafe practices, but it was not until I read Ozeki’s novel that I ever thought of these things in relation to myself and how these things could affect me now that I buy my own food. My Year of Meats got me thinking about the trust I place in institutions I know nothing about.
I recently read an article on CNN about a slaughterhouse in California that was caught abusing the already sick and weak cows it was sending through the lines. This practice raises concerns because it increases the risk of contamination of the beef that is later sent out for public consumption. After reading that article and Ozeki’s book, I have found myself refusing red meat when I have had the option for it. I respect Ozeki’s novel for bringing attention to an aspect of the food industry that is not discussed as often as it should be. While I know that the use of dangerous hormones and contamination of meat is not the norm, I am much more cautious now.
–Heather Mead
