Murakami and His Women

I have often contemplated the way in which Murakami writes about his women. There are often some interesting descriptions of women that are typically  related to sexuality, that can be off-putting and sometimes strange. However, I never detected any misogyny in his work. I think there are some gratuitous passages for but truly nothing overtly degrading. This may be a very divisive take, but I feel like in some ways, Murakami writes women with more agency, grace, and respect than most other writers. He affords his female characters the privilege that most male characters are afforded. His male characters, usually, are quite bland before the introduction of a female counterpart, counterparts who are used for the transformation of the male leads; I look to to the arguments conveyed by Meiko Kawakami (a brilliant author I might add!) in her interview with Murakami: “A Feminist Critique of Murakami Novels, With Murakami himself”. 

For me though, what I find refreshing about lots of Murakami women, is the agency, specifically sexual agency they are granted. In the short story: “Drive My Car”, the wife of the protagonist has  an extra-marital relationship, and never does the text admonish or criticize her. She is never the subject of shame by her husband, her lover, or the text as a whole. It hurts the protagonist, and yet, she is not the subject of vitriol. It feels perfectly natural that his wife could have taken a lover – it is upsetting but not villainized. In A Wild Sheep Chase, Boku’s girlfriend is a sex worker, and yet, he nor the plot ever comments or criticizes this work, which felt extremely new. Boku engages in a real relationship with her, accepts her work, and even suggests she show her ears to enjoy herself more (a suggestion that she does not like).

Stories from Men Without Women also come to mind, primarily “Kino” and “Scheherazade”. So many instances of flawed women that are never admonished for their sexualities and choices. They simply exist as ambiguous characters that feel both real and vivid. “Tony Takitani”, is another story that feels as though women can exist unchained from societal expectations, where Tony’s wife is not criticized for her excessive shopping, but rather, encouraged to return the clothes out of genuine concern for her wellbeing. “A Perfect Day for Kangaroos” offers a similar, sympathetic portrayal of women, where his girlfriend is not ridiculed for her somewhat surprising and seemingly incomprehensible attitude towards the growing baby kangaroo. We as the audience are expected to understand there is more to her than we are able to deduce, and so in the short duration of the story, once again, female characters are afforded grace despite not knowing why. 

There are other novels that come to mind when I think of great female characters, Aomame of IQ84 being one of my favorites. It is interesting to analyze female characters specifically, and recently, the short stories we have been reading really made me think about women and their roles in Murakami stories. In the past I definitely had the strong inclination to deem Murakami’s work as a misunderstanding of women. More recently, however, I feel like my perspective has shifted a bit, even while reading the somewhat strange descriptions and scenes in Norwegian Wood regarding Naoko. Most of the time, I feel as though these descriptions don’t feel useless or baseless. While I find them to be uncomfortable, I  feel they are quite compelling. Midori, in all of her odd requests and quirks, I cannot help but love. I love the odd and eccentric women he writes about. I find them to be bold and intrusive in the best ways. I would love to hear everyone’s thoughts on this as I know it can be a very complex topic. Thanks.

- Isabella