Exploration of Kafka on the Shore and Connection with Classic Works (Essay Sample)

Exploration of Kafka on the Shore and Connection with Classic Works
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Exploration of Kafka on the Shore; Connection with Classic Works
Murakami's Kafka on the Shore is a captivating novel that details transformation of characters and pursuit for identity. The main characters undergo some form of changes that submerges the reader into surreal territory and engulfs him or her for the duration of the reading. The influence of American (Western) culture is evident as a hitherto conservative village comes to terms with social and cultural changes. Moreover, Murakami alludes to some classics to enhance the surreal undertone in his novel. Sophocles' Oedipus Rex and Genji's Tale of Genji enhances the surreal feel because of their reference to human's limit and the world of the spirits. This paper will extrapolate the significance of the two literary works in Murakami's characterization and thematic concerns.
Kafka on the Shore is a labyrinthine story of characters as they experience a transformation that plugs the reader into moments of spontaneous obscurity. The setting is in Japan where the protagonist, a 15-year-old boy clever for his age, flees his father's house. At this point, Murakami introduces the surreal aspect. The boy's father kills cats and extracts their soul. The author alludes to Sophocles' Oedipus Rex when he discloses to the reader that the boy is poised to kill his father and take over the family. As Spurr (2011) argues, this is foreshadowing to the fate that will befall the boy. Just like Oedipus, the boy is at the mercies of some benevolent spirits that he cannot control.
Concomitantly, Murakami develops another plot that runs simultaneously with that of his young protagonist. Nakata, an old man witnessed and survived the World War two but paid with his memory. He can hardly remember anything that happened before he lost his consciousness. To compensate for the lack of memory, he has a peculiar talent. He can communicate with cats and neighbors find him useful when they lose their pets. As predestined by fate, Nakata kills a mad man and escapes to Shikoku, the same place that Kafka had found solace after falling out with his father (no the biological one). Though Nakata never meets Kafka, his actions have huge implications in the boy's life (Djakaria & Limanta, 2012). As subsequent parts of this paper will show, fate portends that characters will benefit the actions and kindness of people they never know.
Murakami's reference to spirits is another aspect that highlights the significance of the classic works he uses in his novel. Just like the prophet in Oedipus Rex, Kafka, Murakami's protagonist, is under the guidance of a "spirit" that serves as a guidepost. The difference here is that while Kafka trusts his imagined friend, Sophocles' protagonist selects defiance. Crow, appropriately named by Murakami, is Kafka's guardian angel. The boy harbors artistic desires that only his imagined friend can help him realize. Spurr (2011) avers that the imagined friend serves to bring the gap between reality and dream. It is evident that Kafka senses the profound effect of fate in his life but is also determined to escape the mercies of the benevolent spirits. He wants to strike the right balance between imagination and reality in order to enjoy the solitude that she has been yearning for all that time.
The trademark of most Murakami's books in the metaphor of dreams. Crow gradually develops to become Kafka's guiding angel, often encouraging him to weather all storms. In one encounter, he warns Kafka of an imminent danger in form of a storm but also ensure him that the storm will pass away and everything will be back to normal. Murakami's pontificates the belief that dreams are always an indicator of what would happen in reality (Djakaria & Limanta, 2012). This rekindles the memory of Murasaki's characters in The Tale of Genji. Characters experience furious and violent dreams that turn out to be a reality. Prince Genji is a man of many love affairs. This ferments deep jealous between his wives. An example is Lady Rokujo. Her resentment of Prince Genji's Maiden wife overwhelms her, becomes vicious, and consumes her mercilessly in her dream. Murakami and Murasaki employ naturalistic aspects to show characters that experience nightmares and wake up with scars or other physical evidences.
Furthermore, Murakami's protagonist is typical Sophocles' Oedipus Rex. Just like the Oedipus from the Greek Tragedy, Kafka gets a curse from his father. Fate has predestined the boy to murder his dad and marry his mother, a serious abomination by standards of prevalent culture. Additionally, he will rape his sister, something that he abhors enough to contemplate an escape. In an ironic twist of event, it turns out that the woman in his new abode may be his mother, a run away parent who neglected his family many years back. Oedipus Rex and The Prince of Genji share a similar plot. This is Murakami's deliberate attempt to show the role fate