The Character Evolution of Boku.

After finishing A Wild Sheep Chase, I feel like the story as a whole was to get Boku's life moving forward or to grow from the stoic attitude he had at the beginning to a more focused personality. At the beginning of the book Boku seems to acknowledge and accept the fact that his life is not advancing in any meaningful sort of way, and he doesn't have any desire to change that, even letting his wife leave him because of this fact. Even when things do start happening in his life, the meeting with his girlfriend with mystical ears and the task to find the star-patched sheep, he does not take these events as his life becoming more eventful, but more of something that's just happening to him. When the search for the sheep becomes more tied to his friend the Rat, Boku seems to take this as more of a coincidence rather than fate or destiny it seems, as he still retains his stoic attitude throughout this. It's only when he learns that he's essentially being played with by the Boss's Secretary and he knows that he's close to finding his friend that he shows genuine frustration. And this spout of anger contrasts with Boku from the beginning, where he basically accepted his life was going nowhere, and now after this whole search he feels like he's at the right place in the mountains with just enough time that he becomes frustrated that his search has come to a dead halt, that it's going nowhere. And I take this change in attitude from Boku as more of a sign that something that he's become personally invested in has stopped, and the fact that he seems personally invested in something as the true change in character from Boku. I feel this is also emphasized at the end of the book where he asks to become a co-partner to J's bar, which I would say is a new personal interest in his relationship with J, probably something that he wants to strengthen after learning the Rat is dead. So the whole search has given Boku a new sense of purpose to his life that he didn't have before and now he has an active interest in doing things in his life or at least improving the life of those around him.

-David Barnes

Inaminate Objects and Ideas in A Wild Sheep Chase and The Long Goodbye

The writing style of both of the novels we read are distinct in the way that their narrators see the world, or at least how the authors narrate their surroundings. We get the sense that both Marlowe and Boku have a wide lens of how different aspects of life are intertwined to create the present. They exist to set things right, or fix problems that other people have created, not to help themselves but to set things right in the world (Boku going on his Wild Sheep Chase on the request of the boss's secretary and Marlowe solving crimes). 

One of the reasons I point this out is due to the prevalence of inanimate objects having humanistic traits or feelings in both of the novels. This presents the idea that these other objects could have senses, which makes the world of the characters seem less centered on strictly humans. In the most recent section of the Wild Sheep Chase we read, there are two movements where this occurs. Firstly when Boku and the caretaker are driving to the house, when Murakami writes:

"The valley was vast, and the view was spectacular. But without a hint of warmth. The rock face was sheer, stripped of every bit of life. You could smell its menacing breath" (271). 

Also when Boku is in the house, Murakami writes:

"The big room had twin beds and a dresser. The beds were stripped down to their frames. Time was dead in the air" (282)

Both time and the valley are described as having animate features, which creates a very eery (in this case) and distinct mood in the story. 

In Chandler, we discussed in class how the telephone becomes an animate object. He also describes a cigarette like this when Chandler says:

"I cut it off and smoked a long cool tightly packed cigarette. It was kind to my throat." (99)

Marlowe also describes the scenery as animate when he is driving Coldwater Canyon:

 "When we topped the rise and started to wind down towards the San Fernando Valley it was breathless and blazing." (296)

These examples are clearly able to create a very unique narration method that is present in both of the novels.  

-Audrey Hager

The Endings of The Long Goodbye and A Wild Sheep Chase

One may argue The Long Goodbye has a happy ending. That is, Marlowe revenged on the true killer of Sylvia Lennox and proved the innocence of Terry Lennox (to Marlowe himself, or a handful of others, that is). This saga of Marlowe's began with a friendship, and the friend "died", then Marlowe pursued justice and in the end, he made it. What's more, it turned out Terry did not actually die. What could have been a better ending for such a story? 

Well, I would not consider the ending to be happy. To use Fitzgerald's language, Marlowe beat on to bear back ceaselessly into the past, but of course, no one could undo what happened. Terry Lennox has committed suicide, and his wife's body was not in full shape. Marlowe happened to have grown a liking to the killer and had to reveal her doings. Roger Wade died along the way. Much had changed and lost, and the Senor Maioranos standing in front of Marlowe simply did not make everything up. It becomes evident in the last chapter, that even though Terry came back, everything has changed. Marlowe, too, recognized it, and after a lukewarm chat, he sent Terry away. 

My interpretation coincides with the title: Marlowe finished the goodbye with justice for the Lennoxes, and then it was time to move on. 

The Wild Sheep Chase appears to have a comparably gloomy ending. To find the Sheep and the Rat, Boku lost his girlfriend, his business, and in the end, he lost his friend. However, I would argue this to be a happier ending than the one for The Long Goodbye. Marlowe went through the story for a cause--justice for Terry--and in the end, he had the justice, but the cause he almost lost (and one may argue that he did lose the cause). Boku did not have a cause from the beginning; rather, he found the cause along the way. Unlike Marlowe's loss, Buku had a trade-off between parts of his life and the goodness for all. From this perspective, Boku ended in a more appreciative position than Marlowe did. 

 Marshal

General Themes Within A Wild Sheep Chase and A long Goodbye

 In reading Chandler's "The Long Goodbye" paired with "A Wild Sheep Chase", I found a few similarities in the main characters and certain concepts that changed my reading experience as I read. A similarity that was common in both Boku and Marlowe's personality was recklessness. Towards the beginning of The Long Goodbye, I often became frustrated with Marlowe's actions. His actions were so reckless in that he presented himself in such a rude, uncaring manner no matter who he was speaking to. This ended up being dangerous in many cases and led to fights and injury. In A Wid Sheep Chase, the recklessness that Boku showed was more along the lines of underestimating the situation he was in.

I felt like Boku had more of an excuse in terms of explaining his recklessness, in that there was clearly an aspect of the story that revolved around warped-reality. Many times throughout the story, Boku mentions how things seem less real to him and how he holds on to things like numbers to stay grounded. This factor makes explaining his attitude towards the sheep situation more palatable. However, Boku was very reckless in that knowing the power and the influence the secretary had, he just continued to ignore the reality of the situation and find the sheep at his own leisure. The sense of urgency only hit him towards the end and that was not even due to the consequences (in my opinion). When I read the part where Boku smashed the guitar in front of the sheep man, I immediately knew that Boku wasn't angry because he would be ruined if he didn't find the sheep, but because of the lack of control. The secretary, The Rat, and fate had been throwing Boku around for a loop, and he had not been able to retain any sort of control over the situation. He was always following leads and missing many details and frankly, without the help of the woman with the special ears, he wouldn't have gotten as far as he did.

One last similarity I saw in both stories between the characters was need. Both characters always seemed to have what they needed. This extends to food, money and connections that ultimately lead them towards their goals. Their attitudes towards money are also very similar in that they have a very nonchalant attitude towards it. This factor made some points in the story very interesting because the little details about food, coffee and long excerpts about history that seem, so random really bring the stories together.

After finishing The Long Goodbye, I noticed that I liked it more than A Wild Sheep Chase. I believe this is in part to the reality aspect of A Wild Sheep Chase. Chandler's story was outrageous at many points and fell into the dramatic category due to its noir nature, but was based in some sort of reality and was a straight shot towards a satisfying conclusion. For me, A Wild Sheep Chase was very chaotic and had me asking too many questions that didn't really contribute to the overall story. There were so many small details and on top of that, the reality was so in the air that I had trouble at times connecting with characters. I have not finished A Wild Sheep Chase, so my opinion may change, but for now this is my opinion.

Ariel

Discussion Questions: Sharing Thoughts

1. Murakami's A Wild Sheep Chase and Chandler's The Long Goodbye show aspects of 

similarities in setting. There is a general theme of mystery behind each setting, and the 

setting seems to change frequently throughout the story. In both novels, the protagonists 

are on a journey to uncover a hidden truth. Neither are extraordinarily special individuals, 

nor do they know exactly what this hidden truth may be, but there is something within them 

that seems to drive them. These protagonists also seem to be indifferent individuals who only

 act according to their duties and seem to express little emotion. Given that both books include

 a lot of the protagonist’s thoughts, the reader can get a better sense of who they are as people. 

I take Murakami to be a spontaneous, yet thoughtful writer. He takes an ordinary individual 

and forces him into extraordinary circumstances.

2. There was an example in the intertextuality article of an Absolut Vodka advertisement from 

London of a Queen’sGuard soldier standing in front of a door shaped like a vodka bottle. With 

nothing but the company name on the advertisement, they are effectively saying that their product

 is so exceptional that there is no need for further explanation. The subtle way of advertising is 

also a great way to make the consumer feel like they are a part of a special “club”, in that they

 recognize the bottle when others might not. I think this method of advertising is a very 

strategic way of marketing as though it is already a successful product.

3. Memes have changed the way many people (particularly the younger generation) perceive 

images. There is more of a focus on using one’s own imagination and creativity to determine 

the meaning behind an image. Some memes may even assume the viewers to have prior knowledge

 that allows them to properly decipher the message that the creator was trying to convey. The use of

 memes has given creative power to the people producing them and allows viewers to interpret them 

the way they choose.

4. Of the five subtypes listed by Gerard Genette, hypotextuality and metatextuality are most reflected

 in Murakami’sA Wild Sheep Chase. This novel shows elements of detective-style writing throughout, 

which is similar to Chandler’s The Long Goodbye hard-boiled detective style narrative. In terms of

 character development, the protagonist in The Wild Sheep Chase resembles an ordinary man that 

encounters extraordinary situations, who seems to always adhere to this good judgement. This is 

similar to detective Phillip Marlowe in The Long Goodbye, who seems to be an ordinary detective

 that is constantly making decisions based on what he thinks is right. Lastly, there is a heavy use of 

monologue from the protagonists in both novels to give the reader a better understanding of who they

 are as people and how they rationalize their actions.

5. I think it is most fair to give credit to the author for any original ideas. I believe authors should focus 

on creating their own original style without basing it on ideas adopted from others. However, it is also

sometimes useful to adopt ideas from other writers if it enhances the narrative.

 

Boston

Discussion on Choice in A Wild Sheep Chase

 It took me a full day and a second read through of the final chapters of A Wild Sheep Chase to digest the ending of the novel. While the meeting between the Rat and Boku was fantastical, and its reality is difficult to prove, it made me reflect on the importance of choice in the story. After this scene, where Boku talks to a posthumous Rat in the rural house near Junitaki, I couldn't help but wonder about the importance of J, Boku, and the Rat. They are the only characters in the book that are (a least somewhat) named, and their friendship and reconnection dictate the plot of the later half of the book. Thinking about the differences in their life, I think a common denominator that separates them is choice. The Rat and Boku are certainly disillusioned by society, the need to conform, and the trivial elements of their lives, and it seems J is a foil to this. J's calm nature, happiness performing a simple job as bartender/owner, and wise words show an acceptance of the realities of life. The Rat and Boku, on the other hand, seem to constantly worry about not what they are doing, but why; and they handle this in opposing ways. In these three characters, Murakami lays out the 3 responses to being faced with choice in life. J represents acceptance of his choices and position in life. He is content where he is, and doesn't feel the need to ask why. The Rat represents resentment of choice, and as a result he runs away from his life to escape the feeling of being trapped. In the end, he runs to an early grave, as the need to chose costs him his life. Boku represents lack of choice. It seems he avoids concrete decisions at every turn, and drifts though life. This allows him into being manipulated into visiting the Rat, and this indecision costs him his wife, business, beautiful-eared girlfriend, and place in the world. He confronts his lack of decision making all at once, when he smashes that guitar. The anger he feels at having no control over his direction accumulates, and at the end of the story he releases himself. The assistant in the black suit reveals that he was guided, and he finally begins to assume responsibility for his future around the time he invested his money in J's Bar. His crying at the end is acceptance of his place, and though we do not see his actions once he assumes the weight of choice, it appears that he has undergone a metamorphosis.  

Andrew

 Thoughts regarding intertextuality

After reading both works, the biggest similarity I perceive between them is perhaps the similarity between the protagonists: Marlowe and Boku. They both give me a feeling that they are sequestered from the mundane world, even though they are part of it. For instance, their insouciant attitude towards money and women. Where they seem to care about the latter, but they do not devote themselves into a relationship; therefore, makes them detached from the vulgar surroundings. Additionally, although both characters are adults now, but they seem to be very cynical about the world, particularly the society they live in, they just don’t show it so obviously. However, when Marlowe keeps refusing giving Terry away, and when Boku rejects the offer to find the sheep at the start, all demonstrated their careless attitude and therefore an underlying rage towards what they do not appreciate, which is the hypocritic and often the society penetrated by corruption and rottenness.

Since Murakami has publicly said he has read The Long Goodbye and Chandler’s other works many times, we may assume that the protagonist Boku may be a by-product of The Long Goodbye, which is Marlowe. Hence, I believe a horizontal axis exists between the two works, out of Murakami’s intention. However, the genre of two works is very different: to me, Chandler’s work is close to light/popular literature, as they are easy to understand and relates to the general public more; whereas Murakami’s work requires deeper thinking to interpret. Knowing Murakami may be inspired by Chandler’s works helps understanding his own works, although the themes conveyed through their works are often very different, as well as the style. Hence, what I really feel is that Murakami borrows the figure of Marlowe and changed it a little, and repackaged it with his own unique style, in a good way.   

 

Alice

Magnets for chaos

 One common trait that both Marlowe, the protagonist of The Long Goodbye, and the protagonist of A Wild Sheep Chase share is their attraction to chaos. Both characters seem to have a cool and unaffected attitude towards life, however, Marlowe spends his time solving complicated murder plots and Murakami's protagonist contemplates whale penises and travels across Japan in search of a magical sheep. For such ordinary men, Marlowe and Boku live quite extraordinary lives. 

While stylistically, there are many similarities between The Long Goodbye and A Wild Sheep Chase, I believe that this idea of a methodical, unemotional character who strives to disentangle the web of chaos that surrounds him, is the most important influence that Chandler's novel had on Murakami's A Wild Sheep Chase. Marlowe uses logic and other investigative skills to create order out of chaos while Boku uses counting, as exemplified in chapter 25 when he is discussing why he should have kept count of all the times he and his ex-wife had sex: "I should have kept a diary. Or at least made some mark in a notebook. That way I'd have an accurate figure. Accurate figures give things a sense of reality" (Murakami 197). 

Perhaps because opposites attract, it is the methodical nature and calmness under pressure that these two characters possess which causes chaos to seek them out (or causes them to seek out chaos). I am not sure about this, so please comment if you have a different interpretation! 

-Penny

 

Intertextuality and Morality between Chandler and Murakami

 

    As we think about intertextuality and how Raymond Chandler has influenced Murakami's work, I find it most evident in each protagonist's moral code and how it contradicts that of modern society. In Murakami's work, Boku is talking to the chauffeur when he says, "Don't you see any contradiction between being a Christian and being the chauffeur for a major right-wing figure?" (149). Marlowe also gives a harsh critique of society when he says to Bernie, "We don't have mobs and crime syndicates and goon squads because we have crooked politicians and their stooges in the City Hall and legislatures." He then follows this with, "Cops are like a doctor that gives you aspirin for a brain tumor" (352). Both Boku and Marlowe highlight the hypocrisy often found in Westernized countries in which morality is preached one way in church and in government, but then many people and politicians reject those morals in favor of corrupt systems that benefit themselves. I think this is why both protagonists oppose the systems in place despite the consequences that may follow. For example, Marlow wanted Mrs. Wade's confession publicized to clear Terry's name and offer the truth, despite the repercussions that may, and did, follow. Similarly, Boku at first declined the job tasked to him to work for this major right-wing figure even though his job and livelihood were at stake. Both characters held their moral codes so close that they seemed indifferent to the threats that came their way. 

Corrina

Intertextuality Discussion Questions

 

• In the intertextuality article, Julia Kristeva describes texts in terms of two axis; the horizontal axis which links the reader to the author, and the vertical axis which links the text to other texts. She asserts that what unites these two axis are shared codes linking the text to the network of other works that predicate it. What codes exist that link A Wild Sheep Chase and The Long Goodbye. Identify both implicit and unintentional codes linking these two texts, and explain how they impact your personal interpretation of Murakami’s work. 

• Come up with examples of advertising where intertextuality enables viewers to grasp the meaning of an ad without explicit explanations. Do you think leveraging intertextuality makes these advertisements more effective?  

• Anchorage, as defined by Roland Barthes, is when writing under or on pictures helps tell the reader how the image is to be interpreted. Think about how the evolution of memes may be cause to broaden this definition. Do you think that for memes the inverse occurs, where the image provides context with which to interpret the writing? 

• Which of the 5 subtypes of transtextuality are most evident in Murukami’s A Wild Sheep Chase. Can you think of any instances of these subtypes that trace back to The Long Goodbye? 

• Opinion Question → Do you think the stringent protection of author’s intellectual property is fair given what you read about how intertextuality shapes all literary creations? What level of recognition should go to the previous works that new works build upon?

Suter 1 Discussion Questions

 

1. 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?

2. 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?

3. 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?