Iwamoto Discussion Questions

 *Disclaimer: many of these questions pertain to "A Wild Sheep Chase"(often used in the reading) however, many of the questions can be answered referencing Murakami's other works.*

1. It is commonly known among Murakami enthusiasts, that he highly values Western literature and in particular, American Literature. Do you see a contradiction in Murakami using a postmodern style despite his numerous Western influences?

2. Knowing about postmodernism, and it's constraints surrounding meaning, will it be harder or easier to derive meaning from Murakami's works from now on? Do you believe Murakami's intention is just to tell a story?

3. Do you see shutaisei or individualism in Murakami's characters? If so, how is this displayed through their personalities and actions. (Feel free to compare characters from Murakami's works to other characters from previous readings)

3b. How would you define individualism? Do you agree with the author when he says Boku has little of it? *below is a quote that should help*

    "The thinness of Boku's shutaisei is exposed by the absence of an inferiority and in his relations with other people. If, as Jean-Pauls Sartre claims, true identity is forged in the crucible of the dialectic between self and other, Boku fails the test. The "other" is a problematic force for the subjective "I" or self, because it too, unlike inanimate objects, is endowed with a consciousness and subjectivity that often clash with those of the self. Consciously or unconsciously, Boku tries to escape the self-other confrontation by viewing others as objects, no doubt because his own subjective self is wanting in depth." (Jean Paul Sarte, Iwamoto, 297)

3c. Connecting to the previous question,  Iwamoto mentions in his article that Boku has: "no core, only vacuity" and "He is literally nothing without a past (or a future for that matter)" (Iwamoto 297). If you agree with this claim, why do you think Murakami chose to write Boku in this fashion? If not, how does Boku's character (whether he is empty or not) contribute to the significance of the overall story aesthetic?

4. Would you consider Murakami's works "noise" from a postmodernist perspective and why? If not, in what ways does Murakami's works fit within the post-modernist genre?