Thinking About Your Thinking

Metacognitive Reading Worksheet

Convenience Store Woman — Section Four: The Costume

NAME

DATE

A DAY

B DAY

Your work is saved automatically to this browser as you type.

BEFORE READING: Preparing My Mind

1. Think of a time you acted differently around different people — maybe with a parent vs. friends, or at school vs. at home. What made you switch? Was it a choice, or did it just happen?

2. In Section Three, Keiko told her friends she wanted to be “cured” — even though she didn’t really mean it. What do you think she’s going to do about the pressure she’s facing to be “normal”?

DURING READING: Monitoring My Understanding

Comprehension Check-In: Rate your understanding of each part as you read (1 = confused, 5 = clear).

What’s happening	1	2	3	4	5
Keiko visits the store on her day off because she needs to “hear the sound of it”	1	2	3	4	5
Keiko meets Shiraha outside the store — she takes him for tea and hears his theory about society	1	2	3	4	5
Keiko proposes the arrangement: Shiraha moves in to give her a “costume” of normalcy	1	2	3	4	5
Keiko calls her sister as an “experiment” and tracks her reaction to the news	1	2	3	4	5
The arrangement begins: Shiraha moves in, calls her food “dog food,” and Keiko’s response	1	2	3	4	5

Double-Entry Journal: Copy a line that stopped you — then say why it caught your attention.

Passage from the text (with page number)	Why did this stop me?

The Unwritten Manual: Track the unspoken rules Murata puts in the spotlight — and how you relate to them.

The social rule	How does Keiko respond to it in this section?	How do you feel about this rule? Does it apply to you?
You should be in a relationship by a certain age
You should have a “proper” job — not just a part-time convenience store job at 36
People who don’t follow the expected path should expect to be questioned — or left out

AFTER READING: Reflecting on My Understanding

3. Keiko goes back to the store on her day off because she needs to “hear the sound of it.” What does that tell you about where her sense of herself actually lives? Is the store her home, her cage, or something else?

4. Shiraha says that society is still basically the Stone Age — you play your role (earner, partner, parent) or you get pushed out. Keiko says she can’t say he’s “completely wrong.” Do you think he’s right? Give a specific example from your own life or the text.

5. Keiko describes the “ordinary person” as a costume — something you put on, not something you become. Is there anything dishonest about that? Or is it just practical?

6. At the end of the section, Shiraha says Keiko’s food tastes like dog food. She thinks: “Of course it is. That’s why I said that.” She’s not hurt or embarrassed. Why not? What does this moment show you about how Keiko sees herself?

7. Connecting to You: Keiko decides to wear the social “costume” to get people to stop questioning her life. Have you ever done something — said something, pretended to want something, acted a certain way — just to get people off your back? Did it work? What did it cost you, if anything?

Convenience Store Woman — Metacognitive Reading Practice Section Four: The Costume Monitor. Question. Clarify. Connect.