She Once Had Me The Significance of the Women in Norwegian Wood - Literature Essay Samples

The people in ones life are often more important in shaping ones future than the choices of that individual themselves. In Haruki Murakamis Norwegian Wood, the protagonist, Toru Watanabe, encounters various women who influence him and alter his outlook on life as he progresses through his relationship with his girlfriend, Naoko. Naoko herself is a reminder of adolescence and death to Watanabe; her mental instability is a reminder of the suicide of his best friend and therefore, he can only associate her with his past. Hatsumi, the girlfriend of Watanabes profitable dorm mate, is an image of what Watanabe believes he wants in adulthood; she lives a comfortable and well-adjusted life, but she is disillusioned with her boyfriend’s frivolous behavior despite living with profit and prosperity. Reiko, Naokos caretaker, is a reflection of what Watanabe can be; she proves that even those with broken lives can heal after she accepts her own failures and losses. Finally, Midori, who Wat anabe eventually falls in love with, represents his future; she has cast off all regrets from her past and lives solely for every passing moment. The women in Norwegian Wood each represent a different time in Watanabes life and shape his transition from adolescence to adulthood; under their influence, Watanabe eventually learns how to cut ties with his past and look towards his future. Naoko remains as a part of Watanabes past; she becomes a living ghost, acting as an emotional weight on his shoulders and haunting his memories when he desires to break free and live independently. When Watanabe visits her in Ami, the sanatorium she is committed to, Naoko tells him, Kizuki may be dead, but you are still my only link with the outside world. And just as Kizuki loved you, I love you. We never meant to hurt you, but we probably did; we probably ended up making a deep wound in your heart (129). Here, Naoko acknowledges the sentimental scars that she leaves on Watanabe. By saying that he is her â€Å"only link with the outside world,† she makes Watanabe obligated to stay with her, thus emotionally dragging him down along with her depression. The constant reminder that Kizukis death is what brings the couple together continues to be a painful prevalence in their relationship, and Naoko points out that she realizes that their relationship is a burden on Watanabe. Even so, she does not take any initiative to help Watanabe or alleviate his struggle. Instead, even after her death, Naoko continues to remain a psychological barrier for Watanabe as he tries to reconnect with reality. Many years after Naoko’s suicide, when Watanabe hears Norwegian Wood playing on the radio, he is reminded of the girl he used to love. Reflecting on this moment, he thinks, The more the memories of Naoko inside me fade, the more deeply I am able to understand hershe begged me never to forget her, to remember that she had existed. The thought fills me with an almost unbearable sorrow. Because Naoko never loved me (10). Watanabe is obligated to remember his promise with Naoko and her existence she is immortalized as a memory of Watanabe: something that will live with him forever. However, Naokos perpetuity in Watanabes memories creates even more pain for him as he is forced to acknowledge that Naoko’s relationship with him was based more on emotional dependen cy that romantic love. Therefore, the more Watanabe thinks about Naoko, the more regrets from her and Kizukis suicides pile up and the more he dwells on the past. Naoko will forever live on as the embodiment of Watanabe’s past; she encompasses most of his reminiscing about his college years and becomes a weight that he will carry for the rest of his life. Hatsumi represents adulthood and the future that Watanabe strives for, but her frustrations with her relationship with Watanabes dorm mate, Nagasawa, and her eventual suicide reveal to Watanabe that adulthood is not necessarily the easy escape from his past. When Nagasawa holds a dinner in celebration of finding a high-status job, Watanabe recalls an argument that went on between Nagasawa and Hatsumi; You cant even call what I do fooling around. Its just a game. Nobody gets hurt, said Nagasawa. I get hurt, said Hatsumi. Why am I not enough for you?' (208). Watanabe looks up to Nagasawa and Hatsumi as the ideal couple and the picture of success: beautiful, profitable, and unshakable. However, Nagasawa takes out his stress from striving for success by being unfaithful, signifying that there are aspects of adult life that are inherently unattractive. Beneath the sparkling exterior, adulthood is, in fact, a constant feeling of inadequacy and a stream of sentiments that are unable to be c onveyed. Hatsumis disillusionment is more evident as the scene unfolds and she directly confronts her boyfriend, Dont you care whether I understand you or not?†¦So is it a mistake for me to feel that I want to be understood by someone by you, for example? That was the first and last time I ever heard her shout (210). As Watanabe watches this moment happen, he realizes that in adulthood, there is no honesty; as people grow older, they become more and more jaded, so much so that they barely recognize each other or show their true personas. By raising her voice, Hatsumi breaks from the subservient girlfriend character she had been playing all along; it is as if Hatsumi and Nagasawa are putting on a play, as if all of adulthood is merely a theatrical facade. Even so, as Watanabe reflects on the moments that he spent with the older couple, he describes that, the image of Hatsumi flashed into my mindIt was a kind of childhood longing that had always remained and would forever remai n unfulfilledWhat Hatsumi stirred in me was a part of my very self that had long lain dormantSomeone should have done something anything to save her (211-212). Watanabe realizes that Hatsumi reminds him of a life that has wasted away by waiting for Nagasawa to settle down. Instead of living a fulfilling adulthood and doing what is expected of successful adults, Hatsumi is left waiting with dreams that will never be granted and a lover who will never marry her. Hatsumis eventual suicide finishes the vicious cycle, revealing that even the most perfect of couples are secretly corrupt, with both parties unable to find their way out of the mess that they have created. Reiko is a reflection of what Watanabe can become; she is in the process of healing after crippling loss and failure, but she eventually learns to let go of her past and start anew. After reflecting on Reikos letter about Naokos death, Watanabe is able to see the parallels between him and Reiko when he remarks, And just as Naoko and I had shared the dead Kizuki, Reiko and I shared the dead Naoko (279). Here, Watanabe implies that death, or loss, is what brings people closer together, and while Naokos death will be another weight on their shoulders, it has connected Watanabe and Reiko on a personal level. In sharing their grief, they are able to help each other accept death. As Watanabe mourns Naoko, Reiko tells him that, Thats why you need to grab whatever chance you have of happiness where you find it, and not worry about other people too much. My experience tells me that we get no more than two or three such chances in a lifetime, and if we let them go, we regret it for the rest of our lives (269). Reiko speaks from experience; she had lived through the same regret that she is telling Watanabe to avoid, and she wants to help Watanabe overcome his grief and mourning by asking him to let go of his past and start a new life. Reiko continues to give Watanabe life advice until finally, they part ways at a train station after Reiko leaves Ami. Watanabe reflects, We were alive, she and I. And all we had to think about was continuing to liveBe happy, Reiko said to me as she boarded the train. Ive given you all the advice I have to give. Theres nothing left for me to say. Just be happy. Take my share and Naokos and combine them for yourself' (293). Reikos final advice is for Watanabe to find happiness, which is something that she had been unable to do, thus sending her to the Ami in the first place. She asks Watanabe to take Naokos and her own happiness, which was lost from living in Ami, and take it for himself. From this advice, Reiko teaches Watanabe how to let go of Naoko and his obligations to her and Kizuki, as well as how to accept their deaths. In this moment, Watanabe is truly living, having learned how to free himself from his memories of Naoko; Reiko shows Watanabe that he has an entire life ahead of him and can live normally, and therefore, he still has a chance at living life to the fullest. Midori represents freedom and breaking away from the past to Watanabe; having been plagued by death in her past, she rejects social expectations that tie her down and relishes every moment as she lives in it. Midori never seems to hold on to regrets nor mourn for the things that she has lost when Watanabe expresses concern over Midori after the death of her father, she merely brushes it off; Nah, a funerals a piece of cake. Weve had plenty of practiceWe were drained, my sister and me. We couldnt even cry. We didnt have any tears left. Except, when you do that, they start whispering about youThe bastards! The more they wanted to see us cry, the more determined we were not to give them the satisfaction (221). Midori has gone through so much death in her life that she no longer cares about it she stops dwelling on people who existed in her past and instead, she solely focuses on her relationships in the present. She regards death and funerals as a mere formality, and looks down on tho se who criticize her lack of sympathy. Midori refuses to conform to the expectations that the death of her father is something that she is supposed to mourn, and in order to keep on defying those expectations, she stops herself from crying. Midoris idiosyncrasy can also be seen when Watanabe visits her home and she says to her fathers shrine, Night-night, DaddyIm sure youre not suffering. If you are, youd better complain to the gods. Tell em its just too cruel. I hope you meet Mum and the two of you really do itSo give it everything youve got (230). Midoris lighthearted approach to addressing her father, even after his death, shows that she no longer worries about his loss. Instead, she makes sexual jokes about her father up in heaven, which shows how quickly she is able to let go of what happened in the past. She does not dwell on or mourn the death of her father instead, she is relieved by the end of his suffering. These instances reveal the way that Midori has learned to cope wi th grief, and in this way, she becomes what Watanabe eventually realizes he desires: a way to release himself from the past and live on looking forward towards the future. Watanabes final success in letting go of his past is a result of his attraction to Midoris independence and his realization that his love for Midori is what will eventually liberate him. When Midori talks about her ideal relationship, she mentions to Watanabe, â€Å"Ive been waiting for so long Im looking for perfectionPerfect selfishness. Like, say I tell you I want to eat strawberry shortbreadAnd you come backand hold this strawberry shortbread out to meAnd I say I dont want it anymore and throw it out of the window. Thats what Ive been looking for (76). Midori has spent so much time serving and accommodating others that she now only cares about her own wants and needs. She wants a relationship that is as volatile as she is and that can satisfy her every whim; Midori wants to live in the moment, changing her mind whenever she likes, and she therefore she needs to find somebody who can easily change along with her. These aspects of Midoris personality causes Watanabe to end up lovi ng her, even writing to Reiko, there is a decisive finality to what exists between Midori and me. It has an irresistible power that is bound to sweep me into the futureIt stands and walks on its own, living and breathing and throbbing and shaking me to the roots of my being (268). Watanabes love for Midori is alive, as dynamic and vivacious as the woman herself is, and has affected Watanabe much more than the emotions that Naoko sparks in him. With Midori, Watanabe is no longer buried in thoughts of death and weariness from Naoko, and instead, he feels alive, just like his love for Midori. His love is â€Å"bound to sweep him into the future, thus allowing Watanabe to let Naoko go and follow Midori onwards into freedom. Watanabe finds his future by following Midoris example, thinking about living in the present and looking forward to the future; by doing so, he finds a love that does not pull him down, but uplifts him instead. Watanabes life is marked and defined by the many women that he meets as he journeys through early adulthood. With Naoko, Watanabe is forced to remember the most painful parts of his past, from his best friends suicide to Naokos depression and her eventual death. Hatsumi represents Watanabes ideal picture of what adulthood should be, but she remains unhappy because she keeps on waiting for a future that will never come. However, Reiko, who has survived loss, death, and rejection, guides Watanabe through the murkiness of his life and shows him that beyond the storm, there is always sunlight and beyond all, there is happiness to be experienced. This advice teaches him to live for himself and live for the present, which also allows him to start a relationship with Midori, the free-spirited girl who has cast off all the misfortunes in her life and solely lives for her own selfish reasons. Watanabes desire to leave his painful past behind draws him to Midori, who lives spontaneously, and s o their love, which continuously edges on towards the future, concludes the novel. All these women become important memories to Watanabe, except Midori, who stays as a tangible being to him. Each woman leaves Watanabe with a life lesson and leads him to his endgame with Midori, teaching him how to live with the future on his mind and happiness in his heart.

Transcendentalism In The Novel Into the Wild - Free Essay Example

Transcendentalism, defined as the era that transcends the limits of intellect, reason, and society; which allows emotions and soul to aid in creating a relationship with the universe or nature to achieve perfection. This era took place in the 1800s, which was created from the start of controversial debates between New Light theologians and the Old Light opponents. The New Light members believed religion should focus on the peoples personal experience, unlike the Old Light members who valued to have reason in their religious approach. Jon Krakauer, in Into the Wild, utilizes the ideas of Emerson and Thoreau, two significant writers of the transcendentalist period, to create a sense of Transcendentalism. In Thoreaus book, Walden, Thoreau went to live out in the wilderness alone with nothing for two years; during his experimentation at Walden Pond, he wrote about the simplicity, unity of nature, the faith of humanity, and individualism. Whereas Emerson believed that a persons potential was limitless, and people should have a free spirit rather than conforming to societys way of living. These idealistic philosophers wished for others to look at nature, at themselves, and art to find the answers to lifes hardest questions. Based on the ideas of these two writers, it is believed that Chris McCandless, the main character in Into the Wild, fits the mold of a truly worthy transcendentalist. The main characteristics of Chris McCandless prove he was indeed a transcendentalist because he followed the path of transcendentalis m; supporting the ideas of rejection of socialization in favor of isolation by nature, the insignificance of materialistic wealth, and the importance of self-reliance for living in this world. In the novel Into the Wild, it is apparent that Chris McCandless is dispassionate towards society and socializing. McCandless only socializes and sends letters to individuals that help him throughout his journey. After McCandless had finished college, he left his parents and Atlanta and he intended to invent an utterly new life for himself, one in which he would be free to wallow in unfiltered experience (Krakauer 23). McCandless makes it evident that he wants nothing to do with his parents or anyone in general and planned to go to Alaska to live a new life for himself. He intended to go into the woods and isolate himself from society, so he can live the new life that he had wanted since he left Atlanta. Even though McCandless met people that helped him throughout his journey, he never intended to stay with them when they had asked him to. It is unclear why his motives led him to carry out these actions, but many of them leave the reader thinking that he may be a transcendentalist. In the novel, the author states He had not seen or talked to another soul in thirty-six days. For that entire period, he subsisted on nothing but five pounds of rice and what marine life he could pull from the sea (Krakauer 36). This quote from the novel explains that McCandless never intended to socialize with anybody, preferred to be left alone with no help, and wanted to rely on certain foods. McCandless has many characteristics that a transcendentalist would have which would leave many individuals to believe whether Chris McCandless was attempting to practice transcendentalism. Just like the transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau once isolated himself from society, it seems like Chris McCandless was trying to follow into his footsteps by attempting to live in the wilderness. The purpose of Thoreaus isolationism from society by going to the woods of Walden Pond for two years was to gain a better understanding of what life has to offer and to live a purposeful life. Because Thoreau is a transcendentalist and believes in self-reliance, his actions also set an example of self-reliance by relying on himself to live rather than relying on others. Similarly, McCandlesss actions are like Thoreaus in ways that transcendentalism may play a role. McCandless isolates himself from society including his own parents, plans on going to the woods in Alaska to live a new life, and only eats food from nature such as berries and fish. These similarities lead many people to be convinced that McCandless could have possibly been a transcendentalist. As the reader progresses through the story, it becomes more apparent that Chris McCandless is worthy of being called a transcendentalist when he showed that he was not a materialistic person and preferred to live simply. For inst ance, During his senior year at Emory, Chris lived off campus in his bare, spartan room furnished with milk crates and a mattress on the floor. Few of his friends ever saw him outside of classes (Krakauer 124). This quote proves that he does not require excessive materials to live out his life, and he should not make things to be more complex with items; he only needed the necessities for his daily life. This can be tied to Thoreaus Where I Lived and What I Lived For, this essay shares similar ideas to Chris McCandless; they both favor keeping their life simple and not having an obsession with materials as society does. Thoreau writes in Where I Lived and What I Lived For, Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity! I say, let your affairs be as two or three, and not a hundred or a thousand; instead of a million count half a dozen, and keep your accounts on your thumb-nail, he emphasizes to keeping it simple. (Thoreau) An example of this mindset in Into the Wild is when Chris graduated from high school, his parents bought a brand new vehicle as a congratulations gift; they even offered to pay for law school if there was not enough money in his college fund. However, Chris did not approve of this and denied the gift given to him. Chris believed he had the perfect car, a car that has traveled from Miami to Alaska and has not given him any problems; he did not see why he needed another one, and he stated this about a hundred times to his parents. He complained in a letter to his sister, Carine, they ignore what I say and think Id actually accept a new car from them! Im going to have to be real careful not to accept any gifts from them in the future because they will think they have bought my respect (Krakauer 17). This just goes to show that Chris McCandless truly fits into the transcendentalist ideals and mindset; his respect would not be bought with material objects, it would be earned through their listening and letting him grow as an individual. Furthermore, there is an additional purpose as to why Chris McCandless decided to live in the wild rather than live comfortably in a house; he wished to prove to himself that man can survive without objects that society glorifies, and McCandless thought the way to do this was to start fresh. He went through such lengths to make this happen, he cut off any connections with his family, donated all of his money, and even changed his name to Alex Supertramp; his old life was tossed away. When it came down to making these choices, they were irrefutable. To the readers, his actions would be significant to be the inspiration for all to follow, and for others, to learn from his mistakes. The fact that he wanted to get closer to nature, start new and considering the lengths he took to get there is proof the man is a transcendentalist. In Into the Wild, Chris McCandless strived in extremes to be a self-reliant transcendentalist in relations to Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. Throughout the course of Jon Krakauers book, Krakauer thoroughly describes to the audience about McCandless life in college, before his attempt to live in the American wilderness. As stated, . . . Chris lived off campus in a monkish roomAnd he didnt have a phone, so Walt and Billie [Chriss parents] had no way in calling him. (Krakauer 22). The novel itself portrays how rootless Chris desired to live. Following that, he also refused in accepting a car which his parents attempted to give him and decided to willingly donate his entire twenty-four thousand dollar college fund towards the OXFAM America charity; money, including any sort of materialistic belongings, clearly obtained no sentimental connection towards Chris. In Emersons Self-Reliance, McCandless seemingly fits the description as Emerson wrote, Is it so bad then, to be misunderstood? Pythagoras was misunderstood, and Socrates, and Jesus, and Luther, and Copernicus. . . To be great is to be misunderstood. . . (Emerson 392). In this essay, Emerson discusses in arguments about his beliefs towards society to which contains an adverse effect on ones own personal perspective and growths. Adequately, through his writings, objectifies the freedom in unveiling ones spirituality and independence. After studying through Chris McCandless life in Into the Wild, we are given the opportunity to personally understand that he never once allowed his life to stand in the way of something he wished to accomplish. The only person you are fighting is yourself and your stubbornness to engage in new circumstances. (Krakauer 58). In comparison to a true transcendentalist, Chris allowed his individuality to course through his dreams and continued his refusal towar ds conforming in our prosaic society.