Magical Realism in Haruki Murakami's "The Wind-up Bird Chronicle"
Magical Realism in Haruki Murakami’s The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle
Magical realism is one of the characteristics of postmodernism in literature,
where magical or supernatural elements are presented in the everyday world. This
genre often involves the portrayal of ordinary events that highlight the fine
line of boundaries between normal and extraordinary life. In The Wind-Up Bird
Chronicle by Haruki Murakami, the elements of magical realism are highlighted to
enhance the concept and storytelling. The novel uncovers the story in
fantastical and extraordinary way despite the setting is in the normal everyday
world. The layers of reality add surrealism and complexity to the novel while
discovering the protagonist’s spirituality. The story started off with the
beauty of the ordinary life of Toru Okada, cooking spaghetti in his kitchen. The
story of self-discovery begins with the loss of his cat, followed by conflict
with his wife and his brother-in-law. The three-part novel unfolds in a
non-linear concept—a solitude in abandoned well connects Toru’s dream and
reality, and unique side characters that help throughout his journey exploring
his identity and loneliness. These elements enhance the reading experience
immersed in unique storytelling of magical realism.
The Mysterious Well
The protagonist, Toru Okada discovered a dry well in his
neighborhood is significant to the magical elements that connects Toru to
another dimension, symbolizing an entrance between realities. His seclusion in
the well has added purpose in Toru’s life—in finding meaning as well as to
discover his purpose and uniqueness. The well served as the central point of
magical realism in this novel as the interpretation can be varied in exploring
psychological and symbolic space to explore the boundaries between the conscious
and subconsciousness, give more interesting and immersive readding experiences
to the reader.
The Wind-Up Bird
As the title of the novel suggested, the wind-up bird chronicle
plays a symbolic and enigmatic role in the novel. The sound that bird made can
be interpreted as the sound of calling, create tension and change in narrative.
The bird’s presence is a symbol of the unknown, creating a mysterious and eerie
feeling. The magical realism elements that are brought by the bird is the
feeling of uncertainty and ambiguity, creating an open narrative to the readers.
Weird Dreams
The protagonist, Toru Okada experiences a series of weird dreams
which interconnect to his reality—the disappearance of his wife and the cat, and
the conflict with his brother-in-law which has made him the antagonist. His
vivid dreams have intersected with his real life. His dreams are not merely as a
magical realism element in the novel, but also to explore his subconscious mind.
As a reader, I find that some of the dreams do not even interrelate with one
another, creating a confusion and complex reading of this novel. The Wind-Up
Bird Chronicle provides the experience in reading magical realism as one of the
characteristics of postmodernism in literature. Readers will enjoy the
mystifying details in the novel to understand and interpret the story in various
ways. Murakami’s storytelling brings the reader to not only understand the story
but also experiences it, despite being absurd and confusing.
I am Bibi Balqis Binti Bohari (2015946).
Till next time!
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