*Note* This is a literary discussion, not a review of Haruki Murakami's Dance Dance Dance.
So far I've read three of Murakami's works,
that includes South of the Border West of the Sun, Kafka on the Shore
and now Dance Dance Dance. I began to realise a trend in Murakami's
writings. At the end of the day, you don't always fully understand what
he is writing about. Because I feel that I am not of a deserving caliber to break down a
literary piece as profound as Dance Dance Dance, initially, I was
convinced that I could be the only ones who didn't get it. After
sniffing around the internet, it sems that most people could
draw out the significant themes and ideas, not necessarily having to
understand the considerably absurd plot in order to do so. Was it a
natural flair of Murakami's or could it have been done on purpose to
engage readers in such a disconnected reality? Perhaps such that it
mirrors the protagonist's state of mind?
Unlike Kafka on the Shore, whose protagonist takes on a similar journey of self-discovery, the protagonist in Dance Dance Dance is unnamed. Though to be downright honest, it only occurred to me halfway into the novel when I failed to tell my mom about said protagonist's name. I would like to believe it was not my lack of observation but rather, the smooth and strangely hypnotic narration of the protagonist. I was drawn immediately into his quiet, disconnected world, so captivated by its mysteries that by the end of the first chapter, I had goosebumps. I suppose in remaining 'unnamed', it is easier for readers to relate with the narrator. He is such an ordinary being - no different from you and I - yet, his lack of desire to assimilate in Advanced Capitalist Japanese society, his detachment from the world itself makes him quite the subject of interest. Usually I'd find narration of everyday life to be dry past ten chapters. However Murakami has this genius ability to be (laugh-out-loud) humorous and eloquent while writing a murder mystery. By the end of Dance Dance Dance, I was once again, left in awe.
Here's a few pointers for discussion, most of which I have taken online:
Who is the 6th skeleton?
Likely to be the narrator. With regards to 'dance'. To accept death and start living. It is quite a chilling discovery for me when I read about the skeletons together in an apartment, looking quite like a family.
Importance of human connection?
Characters in Dance each carry a sort of emotional baggage of having been abandoned/neglected. It is clear that their sense of intense loneliness is perpetuated by society and even by the people who are close to them. The take away from the novel is "Yougottadance. Aslongasthemusicplays. Yougotta dance." (The Sheep Man). Meaning, never stop seeking for a human connection. The narrator himself makes an effort to stay in touch with the receptionist. He also tries to encourage Yuki's mother to be more responsible. I guess the moment we stop trying, like Gotanda for example, "Starttothink, yourfeetstop. Yourfeetstop, wegetstuck. Wegetstuck, you’restuck." all that is left is a downward spiral into our demise.
The Sheep Man?
I did not know Dance was was a sequel to A Wild Sheep Chase. It was not stated in the copy of my Dance. I didn't mind though. I suppose if I had read A Wild Sheep Chase, the mysterious darkness wouldn't have unnerved me as much.
I read on an online review that the "...currents behind the scene hold deep resentment for the American cultural invasion that has left Japan a hollow, faceless player in the corporate mind games of the Western power structure....The mysticism of the East that's for so long been associated with Japan has all but vanished into the 'other world' of the Sheep Man..."
I question whether Murakami feels a 'deep resentment for the American cultural invasion'. The objective of Dance could have been a satire of Advanced Capitalist Japan, so the 'invasion' of American products and music pans a clearer picture of Japanese cultural emptiness. I think loss of individuality and values are what Murakami 'holds deep resentment for'. He was quoted, criticizing Israeli policies "Each of us possesses a tangible living soul. The system has no such thing. We must not allow the system to exploit us." (source) Superficiality, career-mindedness and rampant desire to consume are prevalent in Dance. Murakami's purpose was to criticize such mindsets of the Japanese people as a result of Japan's rapid development. Hence, I do not think Murakami is unwelcoming of Americanization. But this is merely my side of the argument.
Unlike Kafka on the Shore, whose protagonist takes on a similar journey of self-discovery, the protagonist in Dance Dance Dance is unnamed. Though to be downright honest, it only occurred to me halfway into the novel when I failed to tell my mom about said protagonist's name. I would like to believe it was not my lack of observation but rather, the smooth and strangely hypnotic narration of the protagonist. I was drawn immediately into his quiet, disconnected world, so captivated by its mysteries that by the end of the first chapter, I had goosebumps. I suppose in remaining 'unnamed', it is easier for readers to relate with the narrator. He is such an ordinary being - no different from you and I - yet, his lack of desire to assimilate in Advanced Capitalist Japanese society, his detachment from the world itself makes him quite the subject of interest. Usually I'd find narration of everyday life to be dry past ten chapters. However Murakami has this genius ability to be (laugh-out-loud) humorous and eloquent while writing a murder mystery. By the end of Dance Dance Dance, I was once again, left in awe.
Here's a few pointers for discussion, most of which I have taken online:
Who is the 6th skeleton?
Likely to be the narrator. With regards to 'dance'. To accept death and start living. It is quite a chilling discovery for me when I read about the skeletons together in an apartment, looking quite like a family.
Importance of human connection?
Characters in Dance each carry a sort of emotional baggage of having been abandoned/neglected. It is clear that their sense of intense loneliness is perpetuated by society and even by the people who are close to them. The take away from the novel is "Yougottadance. Aslongasthemusicplays. Yougotta dance." (The Sheep Man). Meaning, never stop seeking for a human connection. The narrator himself makes an effort to stay in touch with the receptionist. He also tries to encourage Yuki's mother to be more responsible. I guess the moment we stop trying, like Gotanda for example, "Starttothink, yourfeetstop. Yourfeetstop, wegetstuck. Wegetstuck, you’restuck." all that is left is a downward spiral into our demise.
The Sheep Man?
I did not know Dance was was a sequel to A Wild Sheep Chase. It was not stated in the copy of my Dance. I didn't mind though. I suppose if I had read A Wild Sheep Chase, the mysterious darkness wouldn't have unnerved me as much.
I read on an online review that the "...currents behind the scene hold deep resentment for the American cultural invasion that has left Japan a hollow, faceless player in the corporate mind games of the Western power structure....The mysticism of the East that's for so long been associated with Japan has all but vanished into the 'other world' of the Sheep Man..."
I question whether Murakami feels a 'deep resentment for the American cultural invasion'. The objective of Dance could have been a satire of Advanced Capitalist Japan, so the 'invasion' of American products and music pans a clearer picture of Japanese cultural emptiness. I think loss of individuality and values are what Murakami 'holds deep resentment for'. He was quoted, criticizing Israeli policies "Each of us possesses a tangible living soul. The system has no such thing. We must not allow the system to exploit us." (source) Superficiality, career-mindedness and rampant desire to consume are prevalent in Dance. Murakami's purpose was to criticize such mindsets of the Japanese people as a result of Japan's rapid development. Hence, I do not think Murakami is unwelcoming of Americanization. But this is merely my side of the argument.
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