After finishing A Wild Sheep Chase, I was struck by the discussion of names that repeats throughout the book, as well as who and what Murakami chooses to name in the book itself. The idea of namelessness begins early in the book, with the description of the woman who died as “no one ever remembers her name either. Say, back then there was this girl who’d sleep with anyone” (5). As Boku and his girlfriend begin their wild sheep chase, there is the most notable discussion of the meaning of names with the chauffer, where they discuss why certain things have names while others do not. They argue whether names are solely for functionality or not, while the chauffer posits that they signify a lack of interchangeability. Through this ongoing discussion whether names really matter, Murakami highlights the fact that he has chosen not to name almost all his characters. This contrasts drastically from The Long Goodbye, where the plot hinges on the fact that Terry Lennox has multiple names for his many identities. Murakami instead goes the other direction, removing the need for names altogether in resolving his mystery.
The discussion surrounding names begins because the chauffer gives the cat Kipper his name, which is the only character in the entire book which we know a formal name for. There are many nicknames for characters, such as the Rat, J, the Sheep Professor, the Sheep Man, and the Boss. Yet, Murakami purposefully chooses not to name any characters. Boku argues that some objects don’t have names because they’re mass produced and that for purpose alone, numbers could be enough to identify. Yet Murakami does not give his characters numbers but gives them a simple descriptive nickname. By choosing not to give any of the characters names, Murakami seems to illustrate the ordinariness of these characters, even the prominent ones such as the Boss. This stands in stark contrast to the supernatural and extraordinary events of the book, which make it absurd to think that these events could happen to anyone. Yet, at its core, the character of Boku is quite interchangeable and it doesn’t really matter what his identity is, even if the events that occur to him in this book aren’t.
Murakami also often includes humor in these passages surrounding names, as this discussion about names ends with the chauffer pointing out that the main character, Boku, does have a name, to which he replies “’Right you are,’ I said. ‘I nearly forgot’” (182). Murakami is almost teasing the reader, because we, of course, don’t know his name so it is easy to forget that he has a name in the realm of the book. Again, referencing an earlier complaint about why they should give such an asshole of a territory of a name, he writes “the area fanned a sixty-degree arc between two mountains and was cut down the middle by a deep river gorge. An asshole of a terrain for sure” (236). It is in moments such as this, that it is clear that Murakami’s choice surrounding names is quite deliberate, as he pokes fun at the concept of giving certain people and things names while omitting others.
Despite the lack of naming of characters, Murakami takes great care in naming the locations that Boku and his girlfriend go, such as a strong emphasis on the naming of the Dolphin Hotel and the full history behind the naming of Junitaki. This emphasis on places rather than the people who are venturing there reinforces the common thread in many Murakami books- the other world. Yet, the people who are crossing towards that other realm are seemingly insignificant. In addition, I found the choice to name all the chapters to be an interesting one, since many authors choose not to name their chapters. Yet, Murakami, who does not name any of his characters in his book, chooses descriptive and unique chapter titles for every chapter. This emphasis on the identity of certain aspects of his book to emphasize their uniqueness while keeping other aspects of his book open to interpretation signify the role of identity and interchangeability in his story.
Sarah
No comments:
Post a Comment