Repost of Thoughts on HM and Connection to Dostoevsky - ALLEN

 Hello Class,

I find Murakami's writing to be particularly interesting because of the characteristics of his characters. Having read The Brothers Karamazov, there are a few parallels between Dostoevsky and Murakami I want to talk about. Dostoevsky is known for his existential view. In The Brothers Karamazov, there was a discussion on the cruelty and flaw of God, because otherwise this world would not have any suffering. Thus, the argument was that there is no God, and if there is, it is an evil one. This rejection of a divine being and meaning in life reflects Dostoevsky's nihilistic perspective.  

The characteristic of Boku shows a nihilistic view from a different angle. He finds the world almost meaningless through an objective view and lives a mundane life. It is almost as if Boku is a student of nihilism! However, there is a key difference to distinguish between Dostoevsky's and Murakami's views. Dostoevsky promotes active nihilism, where one is tormented by the lack of meaning and rebels. On the other hand, Murakami's characters portray passive nihilism, where they kind of just coexist and accept the meaningless world (almost as if they don't care). It could also be argued that Murakami's characters are existentialists, where they try to find meaning through a quest like in A Wild Sheep Chase. In the last chapter, Boku breaks down and finally feels emotion, which could symbolize his growth out of a detached life, thus actually challenging Dostoevsky's view.