Before "The City and its Uncertain Walls"
Haruki Murakami has become a hot topic for his first full-length novel in six years. "The City and its Uncertain Walls".
Murakami is the only novelist I buy new books, not used ones. However, unlike 6 years ago, I am now living on a small pension. He gave up on new products. His books sell well, so he goes to used bookstores in large numbers. If you wait a little longer, you will also find a line at the 100 yen (110 yen including tax) corner. After all, I have plenty of time. (Laughs)
But I couldn't wait until it was 100 yen (110 yen including tax) (it's still 2,458 yen on Amazon (350 yen shipping)). I just happened to read Ilyichi's "H2O and Water", and there is this entry.
By creating ruts around the land that would become the city, the founders made the inner space perceptible, and by creating boundaries to exclude the outer space, the walls were later built. It presides over the marriage of two spaces in the place where they are separated. (Translated by Ruri Ito, Shinpyosha, p.40)
It is extremely difficult to make modern city dwellers recall the feeling of ``space as material''. They cannot perceive space as a "material." (Ibid., P.42)
When Aristotle becomes Aristotle, space is no longer understood as such a "material." Plato's 'vessel' (hypdechomene) is identified by Aristotle as one of the four logical 'causes' of existence and identified with 'matter' (hyle). Aristotle laid the final foundation for Western spatial perception: the perception of space as an expanse rather than as a container. With Aristotle, the "city as an idea" becomes a legal fiction. (Ibid., P.46)
In other words, a city is a container (space as a substance), and there is a wall separating it from the outside world. existed. If we perceive it only as "expansion", the wall will become "invisible" or "surmountable".
The Wall
The novel "Wall" reminds me of Kobo Abe's work. In that work, the main character loses his "name", but it has something in common with Murakami's "Shinagawa Monkey's Confession" in this collection of short stories. More on that in another post.
A name can be said to be the core that forms the "ego", but the walls of the city are also the walls of the ego. What separates the vernacular, or community (common) from the outside world, is the wall of the city, and what separates the ego (particular) from others (nature, objects) is the wall of personality (mask, persona). Masks appear in this collection of short stories, Carnaval.
In Murakami's works, which are told from the perspective of the main character, ``I'', this ``wall of the ego'' is always a problem.
Personal pronoun "first person singular"
As a characteristic of Japanese, many scholars of the Japanese language say that "there is no subject ("I" does not exist)" ( It is what I am talking about (including pros and cons) ("Japanese has honorifics and no subjects” Kobunsha Shinsho, Takao Suzuki, “Recommendation for Teaching Japanese” Shincho Shinsho, etc.).
The ``first person singular'' is exactly ``I'' or ``I'' (ego). I was debating whether to buy The City and Its Uncertain Walls and found this collection of short stories on Wikipedia. (Laughter. By the way, I bought this book on Amazon Marketplace for 103 yen plus shipping for 290 yen.)
Indo-European languages (including modern English) view the world from the absolute center of the "unique" "indivisible individual" called "I". rice field. From the center, I was looking at "family", "community", "nation", "world (earth)" ... concentrically. Under such circumstances, the "heliocentrism" was a change in perspective that "upended the heavens and earth". Despite this, nationalism and whiteism continued to dominate. Even now, the idea that "developed countries" are "the world" continues (even now, we are building "walls" called "borders" and going to war).
One of the twentieth-century ideas that changed the idea that "I am the only one" was Freud's idea of the "unconscious (or superego)." ``I (I think, therefore I am)'', the ``rational (is, should be)'' self, is dominated by something other than myself. It goes against the fundamental principles of how (culture) should be.
For the Japanese, there is a mixture of pantheism and Buddhist thought of reincarnation, and originally there was no such thing as "ego (first person singular)", so the idea of "unconsciousness" is accepted. I feel like I was taken. Rather than that, I think the idea of “identity” was more uncomfortable.
In the band of this book, it says
Short stories are many perspectives of one world
. When viewed with the title "First Person Singular", it reads, "Each short story has different characters, settings, and stories, but each one is 'I (you),' or 'It's Haruki Murakami.'" can do.
A collection of short stories
It says "After 6 years" in the band. Murakami's collection of short stories for the first time in six years. For me, Haruki Murakami for the first time in five years since Killing Commendatore. The first sentence is
We are talking about a woman here. That said, I not at all my knowledge of her. I can't remember her name or face. (P.7)
This alone will make you smell like Haruki Murakami. I immediately fell in love with his world.
Why did I, who has almost no interest in novels, become hooked on Haruki Murakami? I will try to write like Haruki Murakami.
I don't like her. I'm sure she doesn't remember me either. How she met her is also very vague. At that time, I was young and unmarried. I stayed at her apartment when I went on a business trip to S* City. i think i was drunk I usually can't even talk to girls, but at that time I approached her quite forcefully. It wasn't because she was cute. Rather the opposite. That wasn't the case, and I think the momentum of alcohol pushed the relationship. She may have felt something inside her. (Partly because I was young, of course.)
She was a little reluctant, but we ended up having sex. She didn't look like the kind of girl who would have sex with the first guy she met, and I still don't think she's that kind of girl.
After sex, she found paperbacks lined up on a small shelf next to her bed (I didn't realize it until then, I couldn't afford that).
"Do you like books?" I didn't see her as a girl who likes books.
"Only this author. Interesting." had never even heard the name "Haruki Murakami".
"I'll give you this book."
I read the book after I got home and found it interesting. I bought all the paperback books that were published at the time, and even reached out to books. I am eagerly awaiting the release of the new edition. I think I've read most of them except for the anthology (although "Underground" is just displayed on the shelf).
I love the world of Haruki Murakami. You could even say that it's assimilated with my world. I think you can tell from this encounter with Haruki Murakami that my experiences (or delusions) are somehow linked to Haruki Murakami's works.
After that, I never saw her again. Did she thank you for the book? I don't remember that either. He was about the same age as me, so it wouldn't be strange to have grandchildren by now. Thinking about it now, she might have been in the world of Haruki Murakami. She may have slept with me because she was trying to live in the world of Haruki Murakami.
I think she's still in the "world of Haruki Murakami". She has just bought "The City and its Uncertain Walls" in her arms. And I feel like I'm staring at a bookshelf without Listen to the Wind Sing.
Like a beautiful girl she had an LP of "With the Beatles".
I believe that the world of Haruki Murakami, which everyone has experienced, and which we believe to be so even if we have not experienced it, is in sync with my world. It seems to me. There are many people who commit suicide in that world, but I can't remember a work where the main character commits suicide. I myself have a history of mental illness and have attempted suicide several times. I don't know what Haruki Murakami does. I've heard that you listen to jazz and drink delicious sake while living a "healthy life." If you don't do that, you won't have the strength to write a novel.
So maybe I am not "I" but a supporting character in Haruki Murakami's novels. The world of Haruki Murakami as I see it is different from general criticism.
Understanding others
But "sometimes I want to be hugged by a man" At that time, I couldn't imagine what kind of state I was in (although thinking about it, I still don't quite understand it). (P.13)
I don't know about girls. You don't know, no matter how hard you try. "I" keep trying to understand. However, there is a place where I give up, saying, "I can't understand it." That's because I can't forgive myself for not being able to understand.
I admit that not only girls but "others" and "society (world)" are beyond my understanding. That's why I accept "unreasonable" and "incomprehensible" events. Somewhere they are "giving up" (it would be a mistake to call this "awakening (cooling down)"). "I" can't live if I can't "forgive myself" like that. Perhaps it was the “people who committed suicide” in Murakami’s work that he could not forgive. Suicide is nothing but a “sharpened ego”.
I think this is a very Japanese idea. The Japanese have continued to fight against the "individual (ego)" that flowed into Japan in the Meiji period. Soseki Natsume's characters are the same. "Botchan" is not "Edokko temperament". What he embodies is "individuality" itself (selfishness, sense of justice, free will, selfishness). So you clash with other characters. The conflict becomes internalized in the protagonist and becomes intense. It is in the relationship with the "wife (woman)" that it appears clearly. Soseki goes to a kind of state of "resignation" called "Sokutenko I", but his disciple Ryunosuke Akutagawa chooses the path of suicide. Soseki and "I" may be similar (Ryunosuke is a supporting character?).
hope or despair
Even the "modern Western ego" that appeared as "individuals" also "others (women)" I struggled to understand. However, when we treat others as objects of recognition and consideration (the same is true when we treat the ego as an object), a “wall” arises. Because the object is never the subject (ego). If we perceive the ego and the object as ``space as expanse'' like Aristotle, it becomes possible to ``logically'' overcome the ``wall''. Based on the conviction that "I can overcome it", I am forced to choose between "I will never give up" or "I will definitely lose but have hope (despair)". Without that "absolute hope" (whether big or small), the "self as an individual" cannot exist.
"Guilty"
The hope and despair neither "approve" nor "reject" "I" It is alive. Murakami's works do not have an "end". I believe that a world without hope or despair will resonate with many Japanese people. The author presents "facts" and excites the reader's emotions. And the interpretation is left to the reader, that kind of "blank space" is the charm of Murakami's work. ``I (or Haruki Murakami)'' always carries ``guilty'' about living like that (writing a novel like that).
I also write novels and often feel the same way he does. And I want to apologize to people all over the world from one end. "Excuse me. Um, this is dark beer." (snip) Now let's hope the team wins. And at the same time (secretly), let us prepare for defeat. (P.149)
Guilty? I don't know how to describe it...it might be akin to the guilt one might feel if one lives by embellishing one's career. (P.222)
"Happiness", "Proud" and "Loneliness"
In Murakami's works, music, alcohol, and clothing are detailed. It is a description of a scene and a description of a person. Popular music such as rock, jazz, classical... They are also emotional expressions. It's a pity that I don't understand jazz, classical music, or alcohol (other than beer).
Schumann's piano music in "Carnival" is an important item in the story, but I had never heard it before. Now he's listening to Kempff's CD. It's a very interesting song. When I listen to this book after reading it, I feel like various masked figures pop out in front of me like strips of film. You can feel the carnival hustle and bustle (although I've never seen an actual carnival).
We all wear masks more or less. Because it is impossible to live in this fierce world without wearing a mask at all. Underneath the mask of a demon is the face of an angel, and under the mask of an angel is the face of a demon. It cannot be one or the other. that's us That's Carnaval. And Schumann could see such multiple faces of people at the same time--both masked and real. Because he himself was a human being who had deeply divided his soul. Because he was a man who lived between the mask and the real face. (P.171)
Mask is Latin for "persōna". It is the mask that an actor wears and the role. I think that "personality" was originally not "one". At some point (perhaps along with Christianity) it became the “only and absolute” thing. And Freud said that the mask has a "bottom". In Japan, "Tatemae and Honne" ("Front and back), so it is obvious from the beginning that humans have various faces, but Westerners seem to be unable to understand it.
Haruki Murakami prepares such various accessories, not to boast of small people like me who say, "I know this and that." There is a feeling of "lonely ego" that wishes to be "sympathized" (not "do") by doing. Of course, it is proof that I have lived, and I am proud of myself for being able to present it (for having lived).
"Loneliness" at not being sympathized with, and "happiness" at the appearance of someone who sympathizes with "it is almost impossible to explain with words or logic" (P.159) ) intuitive (physical).
"Youth" and "Old"
I stroked her hair in silence. But at the time, I still had no idea what it meant to be jealous, where it came from, and what kind of results it would produce. Rather than that, I was preoccupied with my own feelings. (P.87)
I was young too. People a few years older than me looked very grown-up, and I was causing trouble to others because I was "young" (sweat). I rarely looked back on my past self. And above all, I believed that there was a future. When I saw old people, I used to think that they were useless, or even dirty. And I thought "I don't want to be like that" (I wanted to die before I got old). I had no idea that that was what my future would look like. When I reached an age when I was called an old man, I realized for the first time how arrogant I had been when I was young.
I'm starting to remember a few things from the past (although there are many things I've forgotten every day). Even now, sometimes my face turns red. It's hard to forget things that you don't want to remember (laughs). Sometimes it reminds me of a girl I used to know. All the girls I have a crush on (I couldn't have a single girlfriend when I was a student). The girls are (in my mind) all the same as when I was a student.
The weird thing about getting older isn't that you're old. It's not that I, who was once a boy, suddenly reached the age of old age. Rather, what surprises me is that people who used to be my age have become old. It is a fact that I am old enough to have three people. (P.73)
Haruki Murakami also has white hair (and a white beard). When I look at him in the mirror, my head and beard are as white as he is.
Now is the time to confront my past self. It's hard to destroy what you built. It's much harder to destroy something you made in the past than something you made recently. As you get closer to your "nucleus," that core pushes your thoughts back. If you let your guard down a bit, your recent hardships will become a blank slate.
The reason why we destroy (or fight) so much is because we have a "dream". Even if I destroy my past self, I don't want to destroy my old dream.
The death of a dream is, in some ways, more sad than the death of a real life. At times it even feels very unfair. (P.74)
I feel like once I lose my dreams, I just live like a living stuffed animal. Maybe that's good for your family.
I often think of my father. I feel like my every move is becoming more and more similar. I didn't think anything of it when I was alive, but now I feel that my actions and words are the same as my father's, and I think, "I wonder if that's how I felt at that time," and "I understand." When I was young, I think that "an old man looking at the garden all day while sipping tea" is an illusion. At least my father was different. And I think I will die younger than my father. There is no infinite future. I'm just afraid of "I don't know when it will come (end)", and I'm in a hurry.
My father, who was an atheist, read the Lotus Sutra in his later years. I hope to read it soon as well.
Choices
In my life--as most people's lives are probably--some There was an important turning point. I could go either right or left. And each time I chose the right, and I chose the left (sometimes there was an obvious reason to choose one, but more often than not I could not find one.They even chose me a few times). And here I am now Here, in this way, I exist in the first person singular. If I had chosen a different direction, I probably wouldn't be here. But who is that in the mirror? (P.225-226)
(The ``first person singular'' is ``I'' instead of ``I''.)
< p class="">I read a poem similar to this one. I will not cite it because of the copyright and personal information of the author. The poem goes something like, "How many doors have I opened so far? I hesitated at the right time and chose."
The author is someone I admired when I was a student. I haven't seen him since I graduated. She knew from rumors that she was married, that she had a child, and so on. I happened to find that poem on the internet in a local coterie magazine. She is the only person in my life who rang the bell (“With the Beatles”).
I've lived thinking, "If I go down this path, I'm sure I'll meet her." My heart danced when I discovered the poem. And I felt like I should say "despair". The poem ended like this.
"I like it best now"
Uncertainty
As if throwing Like a forgotten boomerang that comes back to you when you least expect it. (P.59)
If that hadn't happened, my life would probably be pretty much the same as it is here now. However, when those memories come, they will probably pass through a long, far passageway and come to me. And it will shake my heart with mysterious strength. (P.183)
I have always tried to think and act logically and rationally. This is because I thought that being logical is the core of the modern Western ego, and that "individuality" clings around it, and "free and equal individuals" are completed.
However, let alone complete the individual, it cannot even understand the ``I''. Not only am I 'uncertain', but everything about me is 'uncertain'.
To love and to be liked
I wrote the word "sympathetic" earlier, but this means " It's not the passive voice of 'sympathize'. It is "love" that clearly shows it. Love requires a definite subject (“I”, pun intended). Whether it is “to love” or “to be loved,” there is an action and a subject. Love "does", not "is". On the other hand, "like" means "like", so it is something that "is", not something that "does". You end up falling in love with someone (not even trying to empathize).
The Western ego must be "complete" by itself (even if it is a provisional beginning). There are no "windows" as it is symbolic of Leibniz's monads. But then you can't relate to "others". In order to relate to others, it is necessary to overcome the perimeter at the risk of self-destruction. The active and conscious overcoming is the act of “loving”.
On the other hand, ``likes'' are ``things that exist'' and ``things that appear spontaneously'', just like plants, mountains, and rivers. Therefore, it is originally "something beyond human knowledge," "something that cannot be controlled," and "something uncertain." The word "love" just doesn't feel right to me. I've "liked" someone (a girl). I can say it clearly. But when asked, "Have you ever loved?", I cannot give a clear answer. Rather, I've been thinking, "I'm a person who can't love people." What about today's students? Words such as "Love will save the earth" and "Is there love there?" You must feel differently than I do.
Before the war, it was common for marriages to be decided by the families. Until half a century ago, even after the family system collapsed, arranged marriages were the norm. Now, it seems that "love" is the premise of marriage. People spend a huge amount of their lives searching for love. "I can't find someone to love" and "I can't fall in love (I can't have a lover)" are big problems for young people ("dating sites" are also very popular). With so many hours of romantic drama on TV every day (on every channel), it seems like romance has become an obsession.
However, isn't it difficult for young people to "love" consciously (intentionally) or actively?
"Circles with multiple centers, and no perimeter< /del>”
Sympathetic, mutual-monitoring, particularly weak and obedient to the wishes of “supervisors”
“Insular spirit” and “Japanese character”
Incomplete democratic reform
・・・"The world's most ``insidious and narrow-minded'' Japanese voluntarily beats up a retail store --- a half-hearted, feudal and disappointing nation" (Tsunehira Furuya, President Digital, 2020/05/12) Words in the sentence
I, who had received a democratic education after the war, hated that kind of Japanese character. was not in my dictionary). Even now, I suddenly think that I should go against what everyone is doing (for the time being) (laughs). But isn't modern Western democracy "absolutely correct" a mere assumption or "faith"? The two world wars fought by developed countries called "democracies", the exploitation of "underdeveloped countries" that are still going on, and the "neo-liberalism" (Wiki)" The so-called "struggle of all against all" B8%87%E4%BA%BA%E3%81%AB%E5%AF%BE%E3%81%99%E3%82%8B%E9%97%98%E4%BA%89" target="_blank" " class="">Wiki)”, I think, is a consequence of modern democracy.
And that is the result of the structure of "I (ego)", which is a "concentric circle with one center". Even in literary works, the theme is that the main character “adventures” the perimeter (wall) and overcomes it with “love”.
Even in Murakami's works, the theme is "struggling" to overcome the outer periphery (wall). But I don't think from the beginning that I can overcome that wall. I struggle because I can't overcome it ("Black Funauta" is remembered). "Love" is also a theme, but like me, "I" am not sure that "I love you." There is always "uncertainty". I don't want Haruki Murakami to win the Nobel Prize in Literature for "(Humanity) Love Banzai" based on the Western ego.
And even now, every time something happens, I think about that special circle, or silly trifle And I keep thinking about the special cream that must be inside me. (P.48)
Now, let's read "The City and its Uncertain Walls".