Thinking About Your Thinking

Metacognitive Reading Worksheet

Convenience Store Woman — Section Three: A Foreign Body

NAME

DATE

A DAY

B DAY

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BEFORE READING: Preparing My Mind

1. In this section, Keiko begins to realize she might be a “foreign object” in society — something that doesn’t fit and gets quietly eliminated. Before you read: have you ever felt like you didn’t belong in a particular environment or group? What did that feel like, and what did people do about it?

2. Murata compares the store’s treatment of disruptive customers with the way society handles people who don’t fit in. As you read, look for moments where those two systems — the store and the world outside — are being compared. What parallels do you expect to find?

DURING READING: Monitoring My Understanding

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

Part of the reading	1	2	3	4	5
Keiko at her sister’s apartment — the baby, the knife thought pattern, and the “alien creature” feeling
The disruptive customer sequence: Keiko identifying, responding, eliminating, and feeling relief
Shiraha as “foreign object” — fired, replaced; Keiko realizing she could be next
The barbecue, the escalation, “Oh, I’ve become a foreign object” (said absently), “The normal world has no room for exceptions”

Double-Entry Journal: Choose a passage that surprised you or stuck with you. Record it and explain why.

Passage from the text (with page number)	My thinking: why did this stand out?

The Store vs. Society: Murata draws a direct parallel between how the store handles disruption and how society handles people who don’t fit in. Fill in the table below.

Mechanism	How it works in the store	How it works in the society outside
Identifying a “foreign object”
Eliminating or removing it
Key difference: explicit rules vs. unspoken expectations

AFTER READING: Reflecting on My Understanding

3. Keiko says “Oh, I’ve become a foreign object” almost absently — like she’s just noticing the weather. What is surprising about the way she processes this realization? What does her calm tell us about her?

4. Murata writes: “The normal world has no room for exceptions and always quietly eliminates foreign objects.” Do you think this is an accurate description of how society actually works? Give a real example — from school, the news, or your own experience.

5. Keiko finally says she now understands why her family tried so hard to “fix” her. Has your reading of this made you sympathize more with her family’s pressure, or does it still feel like they were wrong? What changed, if anything?

6. Making it Personal: The store has a clear rulebook and eliminates disruptions openly. Society does the same thing but disguises it as “just how things are.” Think about a rule or expectation in your own life — school, family, your social group — that nobody ever wrote down but everyone clearly knows. What happens to people who break that unwritten rule?

Convenience Store Woman — Metacognitive Reading Practice Section Three: A Foreign Body Monitor. Question. Clarify. Connect.