Kafka on the Shore Essay
How does Murakami explores the concept of identity in the novel “Kafka on the shore”?
It is challenging to convey what defines someone’s identity, who we are, what we do, but most importantly what we think. It’s inside our heads, in our unconsciousness when we actually allow ourselves to ponder on our true identity. When it comes to literature, authors explore their characters´ true selves differently depending on the intention they have. In the novel “Kafka on the shore” Murakami uses several unusual resources in his novel such as themes and intertextuality in order to explore the concept of identity within his writing. The author through the presentation of the relationship between dreams and reality and the concept of destiny linked to the notion of lack of control reveals the true self by inquiring into the inner darkness of the nature of his characters. He explores the unconscious side of an individual, which in his writing has a significant impact on the building of their fate implicitly blurring the boundary of importance between thought and action. Also acknowledging dreams as the only moment when our human condition allows people to be completely honest with ourselves. The following commentary in order to explore the concept of identity in Murakami’s work will focus on the passage of Miss Saeki’s and Kafka’s intercourse, chapter 29.
The conception of dreams vs. reality in the novel plays a major role due to the fact that what the author wants is to make dreams as important as reality or even more so, given that it is when his characters are their true selves. Therefore this relationship is experienced by his audience very deeply, at first introducing the subject in a way anyone could relate to it but as the novel advances, the theme is developed to a level far beyond everyday life, nevertheless it is possible to get to an understanding of it. The geographical context of Japan in the novel aids this insertion of magical realism to the writing of
It is challenging to convey what defines someone’s identity, who we are, what we do, but most importantly what we think. It’s inside our heads, in our unconsciousness when we actually allow ourselves to ponder on our true identity. When it comes to literature, authors explore their characters´ true selves differently depending on the intention they have. In the novel “Kafka on the shore” Murakami uses several unusual resources in his novel such as themes and intertextuality in order to explore the concept of identity within his writing. The author through the presentation of the relationship between dreams and reality and the concept of destiny linked to the notion of lack of control reveals the true self by inquiring into the inner darkness of the nature of his characters. He explores the unconscious side of an individual, which in his writing has a significant impact on the building of their fate implicitly blurring the boundary of importance between thought and action. Also acknowledging dreams as the only moment when our human condition allows people to be completely honest with ourselves. The following commentary in order to explore the concept of identity in Murakami’s work will focus on the passage of Miss Saeki’s and Kafka’s intercourse, chapter 29.
The conception of dreams vs. reality in the novel plays a major role due to the fact that what the author wants is to make dreams as important as reality or even more so, given that it is when his characters are their true selves. Therefore this relationship is experienced by his audience very deeply, at first introducing the subject in a way anyone could relate to it but as the novel advances, the theme is developed to a level far beyond everyday life, nevertheless it is possible to get to an understanding of it. The geographical context of Japan in the novel aids this insertion of magical realism to the writing of