Manifestations of the Unconscious Mind in Murakami

As a reader scrambles to give their own interpretation of Murakami's novels, it is possible to notice repeating patterns within some of the author's major works. In fact, most of the author's writings tend to explore the relationship between his protagonists and the reality around them. Usually, this section of the story starts once the protagonist gradually notices elements in his world that seem out of place. Said elements somehow snap him out of his surrounding world and immerse him into an almost abstract dimension - where people wear sheepskin as clothing, deceased friends are able to interact with everyday objects, and buildings materialize out of thin air. Admittedly, I was - and very much still am - one of those readers. The initial interpretation I had given to this aspect of Murakami's novels was a simple disconnect from reality, possibly due to the protagonist's mental burdens usually caused by a problematic past. However, I had reached this conclusion only on the basis of reading through A Wild Sheep Chase. Now that there is more material at hand, it should be possible to reach a slightly more founded conclusion.

With the added content of Kafka on the Shore, the role that the Unconscious mind plays in Murakami's novels has become a bit more clear. In the two aforementioned novels, both protagonists eventually find themselves in worlds separate from their actual reality which - at least initially - seem to be concrete. However, slight inconsistencies in the manifestations of these worlds reveal that it is impossible for said realities to actually exist. Take for instance Chapter 45 of Kafka on the Shore: "Slim poles with wires strung between them dot the area, which means they must have electricity. Electricity? Out here?" Then shortly after, "A light hangs down from the ceiling. And there's a TV. A TV?" In both moments, Kafka is in disbelief about what this village actually possesses. Elements like the presence of the fridge or even the wind-powered station further add to the protagonist's surprise. The existence of a perfectly working town deep into the woods already possesses enough of a shock factor as it is. Still, no particular element of the village seems entirely implausible.

As mentioned earlier, the story follows a similar pattern to other novels. For example, the town within Kafka on the Shore can be compared to the small mountain-top cabin in A Wild Sheep Chase. Yet, it is essential to revisit how said protagonists reached said destinations. On the one hand, Boku in A Wild Sheep Chase is forcibly thrown into the new reality once his girlfriend magically disappears in correspondence to the manifestation of the Sheep Professor. On Kafka's end, the surreal begins once the two soldiers guide him through the thick forest. In reference to the journey, he later recalls "As I made my way through the thick forest my mind must have been elsewhere." At a first glance, it may be easy to think that Kafka was simply distracted, with his mind thinking of something else. But different readings of the same phrase become possible once it's placed into a larger context, "My mind is someplace far away, though my body is still right here - just like a living spirit." Whether it's 15-year-old miss Saeki or the Rat, these characters can only appear within the protagonist's mind. Thus, it can be assumed that these physical locations are nothing more than manifestations of both Boku's and Kafka's unconscious. 

Daniele