1/25/2019 2 Comments Haruki Murakami 2Haruki Murakami January 12, 1949 - Present Kyoto, Japan
Murakami’s first novel, Hear the Wind Sing, won the Gunzou Literature Prize in 1979. The book was followed by two sequels, Pinball and A Wild Sheep Chase, which completed “The Trilogy of the Rat.” His more well-known novels include Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World, Norwegian Wood, Dance Dance Dance, South of the Border, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, Kafka on the Shore, West of the Sun, Sputnik Sweetheart, and many others. Major Themes:
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle Toru Okada is a simple man who lives a simple life. He lives in a small, simple house in the suburbs of Tokyo with his wife Kumiko, and her cat that has mysteriously disappeared. He recently lost his job and doesn’t have the most notable social life, which keeps him locked up in his house like a prisoner. Somehow, he manages to busy himself by cleaning the house, picking up the dry cleaning and talking to the eccentric May Kasahara from down the street. These habits soon become the norm for Toru. As dismal as it may seem, Toru sees no flaw in his doings and if anything, enjoys the primitiveness. This newfound simplicity soon comes to a screeching halt when Kumiko doesn’t return home after work. Toru is suspicious and immediately jumps to all sorts of conclusions to justify her whereabouts. Days go by and he still hasn’t heard from her. He reaches out to her office, which was useless, and the drycleaners. He learns that she picked up her dry cleaning the morning of the day she vanished. In the midst of all the madness, Toru becomes acquainted with two sisters that are known by Creta and Malta Kano. They both are interested in helping him, but their reasoning remains unclear. Malta orchestrates a meeting for Toru and Kumiko’s brother Noburo. Noburo is not the brightest of people. Although he is very well educated and talented, he can be extremely pessimistic and obscene. Unfortunately enough, these qualities have allowed him to become a well-known political figure. He holds a great amount of power and wealth which supports his expanding superiority. Noburo is adamant about getting Toru to sign divorce papers. Toru refuses to until Kumiko confirms that she left because she slept with another man-as Noburo claims. Turo experiences a variety of things all in lieu of Kumiko’s actions. Loneliness is the largest apparition. Without Kumiko and the cat, he is all alone, with the exception of a few distant acquaintances. He begins a long journey of self discovery that travels the length of the book. He becomes a different person in the end than he was in the beginning. He rediscovers himself and even reinvents his place in society. Analysis of Main Characters: Kumiko is the wife and best friend of Toru. She is very sophisticated and well dressed. She comes from a respectable, monarchy of a family that lacks the title of “family.” Despite her destitute upbringing, she is a positive person. She is helpful and honest in times of importance. She has a set of distinct morals which come into play in the novel. Some might say that her character is “boring” or “insufficient” to the story. The titles do fit. I personally didn’t like her character very much because she acted as a ghost. She had a very small personality. Quiet, observant, non-confrontational and the “other” Wataya child. These qualities are not bad, but boring. Her actions were acceptable, considering the mental state she was in. Noboru Wataya is Kumiko’s older brother. He is not the nicest of people and makes a clear effort to speak the truth, even when it hurts. This quality makes him one of my favorite characters, even though he can be a real pain! He fits the description of “Child Prodigy” and because of this, has stolen the spotlight in the Wataya household, leaving Kumiko in the dust. Some would say he doesn’t know when to quit. Between hounding Turo for signed divorce papers and throwing false accusations at him, this quality of his proven true. You could say that his conniving tendencies stem from childhood. Kumiko once saw him pleasuring himself while holding a picture of his deceased older sister. In addition to that, he sexually abused Creta Kano when she was hired as an escort. Could his feverish actions be the result of an unfettered alter ego? Being praised 24/7 for all of his accomplishments would teach him to expect praise, even when it’s not necessary. Suffering a great loss at that young and in that mindset would cause malicious things to happen….as we can see, it has worked. Theme: The most significant theme in my novel, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami is that your identity is what determines if people see you as who you are or what they want you to be. In the novel, the main character experiences a great loss which makes him question everything about himself. Beyond his journey of self discovery, an array of characters are introduced. Some of them look to Toru as a friend or a friendly acquaintance, while others see him as inadequate scum. It seems as though distinct characters are introduced at specific points of the story, in order to affect him in a certain way to make his journey more meaningful/accomplishing. How did the author’s life influence his writing in this novel? Haruki Murakami is known primarily for reproducing himself in the form of the main character in his books. The main characters are occasionally named Turo and are all dealing with a personal struggle, either at work or with a significant other. The characters are different in many aspects, but all seem to live a simple life. In quotes and interviews, Murakami stated that he has always wanted to live a simple life. This statement clearly transcends within his works. He has also stated that his lifelong dream is to sit at the bottom of a well because he can think. If you have read The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, you’ll know why this statement is so pertinent. Wells have a very strong role in the novel. They’re mentioned multiple times and Turo even climbs down one! He sits down there for days contemplating his life. Sound familiar? Works Cited: “Author.” Haruki Murakami, www.harukimurakami.com/author. Bausells, Marta. “Haruki Murakami: 'My Lifetime Dream Is to Be Sitting at the Bottom of a Well'.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 24 Aug. 2014, www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2014/aug/24/haruki-murakami-my-lifetime-dream-is-to-be-sitting-at-the-bottom-of-a-well. “Haruki Murakami Quotes (Author of Norwegian Wood).” Goodreads, Goodreads, www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/3354.Haruki_Murakami. Wray, John. “Haruki Murakami, The Art of Fiction No. 182.” The Paris Review, 30 Nov. 2018, www.theparisreview.org/interviews/2/haruki-murakami-the-art-of-fiction-no-182-haruki-murakami. By: Rachael T.
2 Comments
kaitlyn karl
2/3/2019 09:00:48 am
Why did May Kashahara leave Toru in the well?
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Rachael Tomanelli
2/3/2019 05:50:52 pm
She was angry at him for acting so selfish...She wanted to scare him into thinking he would die down there.
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