Murakami says “What I’m interested in is the America I perceive inside my mind, the America I imagine.” He claims that he views it this way because it allows him to distance himself from the vision of the world society has imposed on him. Do you agree with this mindset of viewing the world? Why or Why not?
Murakami shatters expectations when he describes places outside the expected stereotypes. For example, when describing “Green street” in Shidonī, he states that the street has no trees nor vegetation present. Also, contrary to the common stereotype, he describes the oceans of Southern California as being covered with black oil instead of being blue. Why do you think he used these types of descriptions?
Murakami often creates an odd setting in his writing where Japanese culture is “universalized” in a non-Japanese and western world. For example, his use of the word “yakuza” to represent gangsters and having characters speak Japanese. He even goes as far as parodying the “Hard-boiled” detective genre in his writing. Why do you think he did that in his writing?
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