Required Literature: After Dark by Haruki Murakami

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June 18, 2017
After Dark
Haruki Murakami’s book entitled “After Dark” features a lot of themes and subtle cues that capture the reader and make him reflect on his own life. This is, at least, what I felt when I read the book and realize that every character in the book has his/her own story of struggle amidst being intertwined with the fate of others. In other words, the main theme of the story is designed to make anyone think that his/her life, despite seeming alone and isolated in this vast world, is linked to others by means of being and necessity. Expounding this idea would be the main focus of this article. In the latter chapters, themes like identity, isolation, and connection would be discussed. I believe, that these three aspects of the story make it not only very appealing but also very strong in portraying the daily lives that people experience. More specifically, these themes would be discussed in terms of their importance on the lives of the characters in the story.
Identity
Basically, Identity in Literature is defined as the set of personal and behavioral characteristics which define an individual as a member of a certain group (Questia.com). These types of identity can portray itself in one’s demographics, such as his race, nationality, religion, and class among others. However, this does not mean that one’s identity could be limited since everyone is exposed to other cultures and ideas, thus, allowing them to have a separate one. In connection with the literature, these identities are apparent have been revealed through Murakami’s description of every character in the story, such as Eri, being a fashion model, Mari, being a young student, and Takahashi, a Jazz Trombonist among others (Murakami). As the plot progresses the readers learn more about the self of each of the characters unfolds. At times, some of their personal characteristics, roles, or functions, could be seen at first, however, the most interesting ones are usually revealed by the middle and the end of the story, such as Eri’s “addiction” to prescriptive medicine. Nevertheless, I believe that Murakami’s interplay between what the readers know and do not know the identities of these individuals helps the readers to connect their lives own lives as well as get a sense of mystery, which makes gives the story a strong impact.
Isolation
In literature, isolation refers to the condition of “being detached from others through reasons not in one’s control” (Litearticle.com). This isolation does not necessarily refer to physical separation from other people through space, but also by a psychological and emotional one. In the story, these types of isolation present itself through the emotional and psychological realm as the characters start from a point where they are disconnected from most other characters in the story. One example of this isolation is the “idea of difference” used by the author to describe Mari about ...