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"The truth is so much more complex" (60), states Jane Tagaki-Little, the main character and partial narrator of Ruth Ozaki's story My Year of Meats. In this one statement, Jane sums up the essence of this complicated story about the lives of two women and a struggle with truth and reality. One woman, Jane, lives in America and directs a documentary called My American Wife, and the other, named Akiko Ueno, lives in Japan with an abusive husband. The lives of these women remarkably intertwine as both women change and discover their real selves. The words real or reality, truth, authenticity, and fiction are used numerous times throughout this story, and these words, the documentary, the lives of Jane and Akiko, and the reader's view all comprise the underlying theme that exists throughout My Year of Meats of a postmodern centerless reality where there is no absolute truth .
Jane's documentary is headed by Mr. Joichi Ueno, husband of Akiko. The point of the documentary is to sell meat from BEEF-EX to the Japanese people. This is done by taping an American family cooking and eating delicious red meat and airing the program in Japan. The programs are then rated through a variety of categories, including General Interest, Educational Value, Wholesomeness, Deliciousness of Meat, and, most importantly, Authenticity. Joichi, also called John, instructs Akiko to fill out a questionnaire and score each category from one to ten. Authenticity proves a very difficult category to rate, however, because "[Akiko] never felt sure of anything at all" (). More than that, though, it is nearly impossible to actually define authenticity. Is authenticity what is different and therefore seems real, or is it what is expected and stereotypical? Different characters have different opinions on this question, and it is never completely answered in My Year of Meats, leaving the reader with the possible answer of relative truths and relative realities.
Real, fiction, and truth are words that are used similarly to authenticity in this story. For example, Jane states that the documentary "wasn't real at all" (8) and that she could create "a seamless flow in a reality that was no longer [the wives'] and not quite so real anymore" (17). Another quote that relates to the documentary as well to life in general is "Maybe sometimes you have to make things up, to tell truths that alter the outcome" (60). Although this is reiterating, these documentaries are supposed to portray real American families realistically enjoying their oh-so-important meat. However, the documentaries are shaped significantly by editing. For example, the episode of My American Wife with Suzy Flowers was edited to be quite different from reality. In actuality, Suzy's husband left her after disclosing the information that he cheated on her. The documentary, however, ended the show with a loving kiss between a "reunited" husband and wife, again exemplifying a convoluted and relative sense of reality. To further contort our understanding of reality, at the end of the story, Suzy and her husband do indeed reunite after viewing the altered program.
In the conclusion of her story, Jane summarizes her experience by saying "In the Year of Meats, truth wasn't stranger than fiction; it was fiction" (60). This quote relates to the entire story as well as Jane and Akiko's lives. In the documentary, Jane makes fiction appear to be truth, and Akiko believes that Jane's fiction is truth. Furthermore, events occur in both of their lives that they previously thought were impossible or fictional. Jane discovers truths about herself and meat that she never would have imagined. Akiko realizes truths about herself, as well.
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Throughout Jane's Year of Meats, she learns about the terrible, unhealthy, and unethical ways that cattle are treated. She also slowly uncovers information about a hormone called DES which is now illegal. The more she discovers, the more she puts the pieces together until she finally realizes that her mother took this drug when Jane was in her womb. Thus the reason for Jane's inability to bear children, a reality that one would never imagine to be real. In addition to that shocking news, Jane discovers that she is miraculously with child even though she should not be capable of pregnancy. This one again arises the question of absolute truth and the suggested answer that it does not truly exist.
Akiko encounters some similar problems in her life that force her to question the four thematic words reality, truth, authenticity, and fiction. Akiko lives a miserable life with John. He beats her, belittles her, and truly does not love her. Akiko and John are unable to have a child together either. Their reason is because Akiko has become bulimic as a rebellion against John and no longer gets her period. However, Akiko is motivated to pursue a better life by Jane's real documentaries, so she becomes healthy again, gets pregnant with John's baby, and leaves him. These are all actions that Akiko never thought she was capable of, and she makes her fiction a reality while using the fiction that she believed is real to encourage her.
Along with Jane and Akiko, the reader of this story is also compelled to question what is real. The reader does not know if the information presented about the conditions of cattle and the illegal use and overuse of hormones is true. The reader does not know if there ever was a girl like Rosie Dunn or women like Jane who cannot have children because of the misuse of a hormone called DES. The reader does not know if there even is a hormone called DES. Or perhaps the reader would prefer to not know whether Jane's truths are truths indeed. Aside from that aspect, the reader also questions the author of the book because of the last two pages. "I don't think I can change my future simply by writing a happy ending...So here it is. My Year of Meats. Not so easy. But done" (61) says Jane, whom the reader previously had thought of as the narrator rather than the author. Now the reader must ask, "whose reality is this?"
Truth, reality, authenticity, and fiction are all questioned in My Year of Meats from every angle. Akiko and Jane both question these four confusing words, as does the reader. Most of the evidence from the story seems to prove that there is no absolute truth in this world. It proves that reality is relative and centerless. It is hard to know what to believe is true. Maybe it is phrased best here by Akiko "It['s] true. You never know" (7).
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