Surrealism In Haruki Murarakami's Novel

Mrs. Brayko

Date

Junior English

Title

Haruki Murakami’s uses of magical realism, vivid characterization, and his ability to illustrate worlds beyond our imaginations assert his idea that loneliness is an integral part of human identity; something that not only damages us but also makes us who we are. Loneliness is a theme that most, if not all, of Murakami’s books touches upon. The familiar and relatable topics of unfulfilled desires and longing for love are part of what makes his writing so engaging and relatable despite the frequent descents into surrealism.

Although Murakami’s stories are all set in the real world, the mundanities of everyday life combine with surreal elements. For example, in Kafka on the Shore, there is a man who can speak to cats and another who can summon a shower of fish. Similarly, in IQ84, the female protagonist, Aomame enters a parallel world with two moons through a stairway besides a highway. Whether these strange events are actually happening is unknown but they are nonetheless real, as they exist within the protagonists’ minds. They lead the protagonists to continually question the world around them. As Aomame’s enigmatic taxi driver warns her, "And after you do something like that, the everyday look of things might seem to change a little... But don 't let appearances fool you. There 's always only one reality" (1Q84,???)

Murakami’s protagonists all follow a certain formula. They are average with average jobs and average goals. They don’t