Kyoko was born into a changing world, yet she remained tied to a traditional culture where most people shun modern ideas that recognize a woman's need for independence. Whereas women of the younger generation had more of a chance to transcend the boundaries of their culture, women of the older generation did not feel they had that chance. Takako felt that her only way out was death, and Kyoko's stepmother became bitter and cruel. In Shizuko's Daughter, Mori described the thoughts and feelings of women of three generations, and through their thoughts and feelings she revealed how the cultural restrictions of Japan affected these women in different ways. Kyoko's mother and stepmother took different paths, but they were both slaves to the same rules and regulations. Kyoko broke free of them. But she will never be totally free, however, because her cultural past is a part...