Lossada 1
Haruki Murakami’s Tokyo
Class # AS.060.121
Class Time and Location: TThF 11:00AM-12:45PM, Gilman 186
Instructor: Alexandra Lossada ()
Class Description
Haruki Murakami’s status as an internationally renowned writer remains undisputed; however, critical ire directed at the confluence of foreign influences in his writing style complicates his literary legacy in Japan. This course will focus on the city of Tokyo as it appears in Murakami’s short stories as the point through which his cosmopolitanism and Japanese identity converge. Beginning in the year 1995, we will examine the Tokyo subway sarin gas attacks and the Great Hanshin Earthquake as key events that triggered Murakami’s critical reengagement with Japanese society from abroad. Moving forward, we will continue to think about the evolution of Murakami’s preoccupation with the subterranean, the Japanese psyche, and translation in selections from all four of his short story collections: The Elephant Vanishes (1993), after the quake (2002), Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman (2006), and Men Without Women (2017). Works will be read in translation.
Although this will be conducted as an English course, students of all disciplines are welcomed. By the end of the course, our collective efforts should enable us to answer the following questions:
- What are the foundations of Murakami’s Tokyo?
- Who are the Tokyoites that live in Murakami’s Tokyo?
- What are the parameters of Murakami’s Tokyo?
***Some stories contain sex scenes and grotesque violence; if you are easily disturbed by either, this may not be the right course for you.
Expectations
You are expected to attend all nine classes with each set of assigned readings completed by their discussion date. If you must miss a class because of extenuating circumstances, please notify me about the absence in advance (if possible). Students should be prepared to participate on a regular basis in classroom and small group discussions.
Grading
Grades are based entirely on attendance and participation in discussion. In the event that you must miss a class, please submit a one-page, double-spaced reflection on one of the short stories assigned for that day; a thoughtful completion of this assignment will count as your participation. The submission date is the next class, preferably as a hard copy.
Technology in the Classroom
No technology is allowed in the classroom (no laptops, cellphones, Kindles, etc.) unless you have a doctor’s note.
Readings
The short stories will be sent to the students in PDF form. Please use the PDF version as opposed to other sources; uniform pagination will allow for easier textual reference during discussion. Bring hardcopies to each class.
How to Read for This Course
Each student’s success in this course is contingent on reading the assigned essays and stories prior to their discussion. Ideally, the best manner to approach each text is to read it (at least) once, choose one or two passages, and critically examine them. Write notes on the margins of the stories while reading.
Calendar
Week 1: What are the foundations of Murakami’s Tokyo?
1/9 – Looking at Tokyo from Underground
Read “Blind Nightmare: Where Are We Japanese Going?” from Underground: The Tokyo Gas Attacks and the Japanese Psyche, along with selected first-hand accounts.
1/11 – Shaky Foundations: Tokyo and the Great Hanshin Earthquake
Read “all god’s children can dance” & “super-frog saves tokyo” from after the quake.
1/12–Noboru Watanabe/Wataya
Read “The Wind-Up Bird and Tuesday’s Women” & “Family Affairs” from The Elephant Vanishes.(Optional: “The Elephant Vanishes”)
Week 2: Who are the Tokyoites that live in Murakami’s Tokyo?
1/16 – The (Updated) Classic Male Narrator
Read “Men Without Women” & “Scheherazade” from Men Without Women.
1/18 – Humans and Others
Read “TV People”from The Elephant Vanishes and “The Shinagawa Monkey” from Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman.
1/19 –Housewives Speak: The Curious Absence of Female Narrators
Read “Sleep” & “The Little Green Monster” from The Elephant Vanishes.
Week 3: What are the parameters of Murakami’s Tokyo?
1/23 –Going Abroad
Read “Lederhosen” and “A Slow Boat to China” from The Elephant Vanishes
1/25 – Homecoming
Read “Tony Takitani” from Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman and “Barn Burning” from The Elephant Vanishes.
1/26 – The Writer in Tokyo
Read “The Kidney-Shaped Stone That Moved Everyday” and “Nausea 1979” from Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman.