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Yutaka Ozeki

Mrs. Mann

AP Literature--Block 2

8 November 2017

A Wall to Protect us

Ive built a wall around me, never letting anybody inside and trying not to venture

outside myself (Haruki 9). We all have the kind of personal wall that we protect ourselves with

in order to avoid bad influences and to be ourselves. It is often wise to step outside of our barrier

and behave in a way that is acceptable to society, but it is important that our identity remains

within us. Murakami Harukis novel Kafka on the Shore builds on this idea of a wall of

protection to address the importance of individual identity even in the midst of socialization. By

illustrating the main character Kafka Tamura as a fifteen year-old boy who goes on a heros

journey to escape from the Oedipal prophecy set by his father, Murakami makes us think deeply

about ourselves as to how we hold our individual identity. Although the simplicity that would be

considered as a quality for a classic novel is lacking due to the ambiguity in the authors

message, the ambiguity creates several interpretations, provoking discussions to interpret the

authors message in unique ways as the novel is meaningful enough to be discussed. Along with

the qualitites of a universal theme of individual identity and the generation of multiple

perspectives, the various symbols that enrich the novel and illustrate the depth of the piece

allows Kafka on the Shore to be considered as a classic novel.

Kafka on the Shore explores a universal theme of self-identity through Kafka, as a boy

who undergoes the heros journey by escaping from home in an attempt to find a meaning to his

life that is stuck in the Oedipal prophecy. The heros journey often functions as an important
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aspect of a classic novel. It is used as a common template when writing a novel in which the

main character transforms through ccountless encounterments. When deconstructing a novel, it

allows for an easier breakdown of the flow of the novel, because it allows us to identify the key

factors of what is happening on the main characters mission or journey. Kafka is a fifteen year-

old boy who escapes home and his father who he hates, and tries to live life by himself in an

entirely new place where he is determined to stay strong. Satoru Nakata, another main character

in the novel, is a seventy year-old man who has lost most of his mental faculties due to an

incident that happened during World War II. He wanders around his own neighborhood, helping

cat owners with his peculiar ability of being able to talk to cats. Although Kafka and Nakata are

portrayed as two completely different characters, they seem to be linked together and portrayed

as one combined character to complete the heros journey. Kafka sets out on a journey to find a

purpose in his own life that he feels is controlled by the oedipal prophecy. When he escapes

home, he is not alone but with his inner guardian in the form of Crow. Crow is considered to be

Kafkas own alter ego (Hmar 36), which often appears in Kafkas mind in order to teach him

lessons about life. By introducing the aspect of a heros journey, Haruki made it easier for

readers to interpret the flow of the novel. Through the interpretation, he allowed for readers to

follow Kafkas journey for self-identity. According to Dina Nabil, a scholar, Murakami usually

employs magical realistic techniques to "challenge and explore the concept of individual identity

in Japan to expose the steady of individual identity in members of the generation born

immediately after the Second World War" (Nabil). We can interpret that the existence of Crow

was to represent our own ego inside of us, who keeps us sane and remain with our own identity.

As Crow repeats several times the phrase of Kafka being the worlds toughest fifteen-year-old

(Murakami 5), it differentiates Kafka from the rest of the fifteen year-olds and keeps Kafka
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focused on striving to survive. Through the existence of Crow, Murakami conveys the mentality

of individual identity we should hold inside of ourselves, in order to remain strong even in the

midst of socialization where people are expected to conform with the mass. Kafka mentions that

[he] could probably kill [his father] if [he] wanted to... But theres no way to erase the DNA

they passed down to me. If I want to drive that away Id have to get rid of me. Theres an omen

contained in that. A mechanism buried inside me (Murakami 11). Although we think that our

parents have nothing to do with our individual identity, they are the ones who have taught us

how to live. In Japan, where the author lives, children are aggressive towards their parens and

forget to appreciate their existence. Therefore, Murakami seems to be expressing that the DNA

that is passed down cannot be erased because our parents existence has constructed us and are

too important to get rid of. By presenting Kafka as a character who has a strong individuality yet

is confined by his own genes of his father, Murakami addresses the necessity of individual

identity in the midst of socialization and exposes the flaws of those who interpret self-identity as

constructed alone and without any help from others.

Kafka on the Shore presents the interesting idea that everything is a metaphor, which

leads its readers to think deeply of its connection to the novel. The concept itself is introduced in

the novel when one of the characters, Oshimaa transgender librarian who helps Kafka by

providing answers to his life through messages contained in books he has read, addresses to

Kafka that Goethe presents the theory that everything is a metaphor (Murakami 107). Kafka

personally utilizes the knowledge from Oshima when he talks to Ms. Saekia female character

who Kafka falls in love with, although us readers are led to think of her as Kafkas mother, in

an attempt to have a relationship with her. While in a conversation with her, he claims that

metaphors help eliminate what separates [her] and him (Murakami 294). By envisioning that
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everything is a metaphor, Kafka felt closer to Ms. Saeki. Murakami also presents the concept

through Nakatas side of the novel. In the chapters where Nakata serve as the main character,

readers are introduced to the metaphorical figure of Colonel Sanders, the Kentucky Fried

Chicken icon. Colonel Sanders mentions that God only exists in peoples minds. Especially in

Japan, Gods always been kind of a flexible concept to refer to God as a metaphor (Updike). In

the novel, Colonel Sanders emphasizes that he is a concept (Murakami 340), in order to

identify himself as a metaphor and to connect himself to his explanation of the concept of

everything being a metaphor. Just like how Colonel Sanders, God, can be a flexible concept and

just a metaphor, we can think of anything as a metaphor and we would not be incorrect.

Murakami leads readers into digging deep into detail after reading everything is a metaphor

(Murakami 107). They become conscious of everything that is mentioned in the novel because

they suspect that they are supposed to be a comparison to something else. Murakami successfully

creates a classic novel that persuades readers into not just reading at a surface level, but

searching for a deeper meaning throughout the novel.

By incorporating extensive symbolism, Kafka on the Shore contains extensive symbolism

and also utilizes the symbolism to create a differing meaning to the symbol.. As we can tell from

the two obvious worldwide icons of Johnnie Walker and Colonel Sanders, there seem to be

symbols that indicate something valuable. According to Djakaria and Limanta, two scholars who

focused on the deconstructive reading of the icons of Johnnie Walker and Colonel Sanders, both

of them have possessed features in which the icons are made for some certain purposes to be a

brand recognizable anywhere in the world that has survived economic convulsions, but

Murakami gives new traits to the icons as characters, which are the total opposite from the

positive meanings (Djakaria and Limanta 93-94). Although Murakami does not include the two
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significant symbols with the same exact meanings to them from real life, he uses the extensive

symbols as a gateway to explaining different concepts that he think is important. By flipping the

meanings upside downfor Johnnie Walker he changes the original interpretation from by

drinking the whiskey one becomes civilized to it is the consumers who should be civilized first

before being able to consume the liquor, not that the liquor make one civilized. (Djakaria and

Limanta 96-97), and for Colonel Sanders turning the signified of providing the best service to

human being into making human being as a commodity (Djakaria and Limanta 100),

Murakami conveys the bad effects of alcohol due to Johnnie Walker, the alcohol icon, becoming

a mad man; and that Capitalism is bad because Colonel Sanders, representing Capitalism, uses

women to please his customers

Just like how the two icons of Colonel Sanders and Johnnie Walker needs time for

interpretation, Kafka on the Shore is complex and could be confusing, yet is meaningful enough

to be discussed as there could be multiple interpretations of the text. Murakami created a

Japanese site where he answered to several questions relating to the book, just like the one

Vintage Books created based on the interview they had with him. The fact that he received over

8,000 questions from readers signifies how curious he made readers and the ambiguity of the

message. Murakami replied to the ambiuity readers had by saying that what I concluded from

this exchange was that the key to understanding the novel lies in reading it multiple times. This

may sound self-serving, but its true... Kafka on the Shore contains several riddles, but there

arent any solutions provided. Instead several of these riddles combine, and through their

interaction the possibility of a solution takes shape. And the form this solution takes will be

different for each reader. (Knopf). Classics are mentioned to not require a second read.

However, readers can find new things if they return to a classic text. Kafka on the Shore does just
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that, by leaving readers confused and provoking them to read once more to see if they had

misinterpreted some of the ideas present in the novel. A classic is what people deem as

interesting to read at least twice, and although not all of the readers might find the novel

interesting, they seek to read it once more because they are curious of the authors message.

Murakami makes Kafka on the Shore worthy to be called a classic, because it promotes constant

discussion on the messages present in the novel and does not settle with once interpretation,

expanding the width of the discussions that could take place.

Kafka on the Shore leads us into a fictional world of its own, yet embodies similarities to

our society that interests us and thus brings us into deep interpreations of the novel. The

universal themes of self-identity and mental disability raises questions in our own society, and

allows us readers to reflect on our own attitude towards these problems. By making the novel

difficult to interpret with a single read because of its extensive use of symbolism and complex

ideas, Murakami Haruki provokes interest in readers to read in depth and discuss with others on

the meaning of the novel. Kafka on the Shore is a classic that we can read and wonder about, due

to its strong impression from the conflicts in the novel and the ambiguity in the authors

message.
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Works Cited

Djakaria, Jane and Liem Limanta. "Haruki Murakami's Deconstructive Reading of the

Myth of Johnnie Walker and Colonel Sanders in Kafka on the Shore." Scholarly Journal,

vol. 14, no. 2, Dec. 2012, pp. 93-101. ProQuest, doi: 10.9744/kata.14.2.87-96. Accessed

19 October 2017.

Haruki, Murakami. Kafka on the Shore. Vintage Books, 2005

Hmar, Rodi. "Locating The Other Half: A Psychoanalytic Reading of Haruki

Murakamis Kafka on the Shore." Tjells.com, n.d. Pp. 31-39

http://www.tjells.com/article/580_Rodi%20Larammawii%20Hmar.pdf. Accessed 19

October 2017.

Knopf, Alfred. "Questionss for Murakami about Kafka on the Shore." Vintage Books,

n.d. http://www.harukimurakami.com/q_and_a/questions-for-haruki-murakami-about-

kafka-on-the-shore. Accessed 19 October 2017.

Nabil, Dina. Magical Realism and Identity in Murakami's "Kafka on the Shore."

Academia, n.d.

www.academia.edu/6963738/Magical_Realism_and_Identity_in_Murakamis_Kafka_on_

the_Shore. Accessed 19 October 2017.

Updike. John. Subconscious Tunnels." The New Yorker, Jan. 2005.

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2005/01/24/subconscious-tunnels. Accessed 19

October 2017
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