The City and Its Uncertain Walls -- a kind of Neverland?

 This is just a small observation, and I'm not sure if there's anything to it, but certain details about the other town in The City and Its Uncertain Walls bear some resemblance to Neverland in Peter Pan. For the record, I've never read the book by J.M. Barrie so this is based on my knowledge of the Disney movie. 

In the film, Peter Pan's reason for coming to the ordinary world of London is that his shadow has run away from him, and once he captures it Wendy sews it back onto him. Although its plot involvement goes no further, Peter Pan is the only other story I can think of that involves treating a shadow like an individual separate from the self which has the ability to attach to/detach from the body. Peter's shadow showcases how he -- and Neverland -- operate differently from the ordinary world. The shadows in The City and Its Uncertain Walls serve this purpose as well. Furthermore, as we discussed in class, it's hard to tell which self (shadow or "real") is the actual self, and which is a sidekick of sorts. In Peter Pan, even though Peter is clearly meant to be seen as the "real" self and the shadow just a mute, faceless version of himself, it's interesting that both shadow selves depicted by Murakami and Barrie/Disney are able to survive on their own, at least to some extent.

The other detail that struck me as similar between the two stories is the sense of being hearkened to by the "other" world's dream-like promises but having restrictions placed on the ability to pass between worlds. Wendy and her brothers gladly allow Peter to whisk them away to Neverland, but as time goes on they begin to miss the world they left behind. Peter informs them that they may leave if they like, but if they do so they can never come back. The draw of adventure and being able to stay young forever is appealing to Wendy's brothers John and Michael, but Wendy realizes that she doesn't want to sacrifice everything she has back home to essentially live in a dream. Eventually, she convinces her brothers to return home, and the adventure ends. The City and Its Uncertain Walls' Boku is entranced with the thought of meeting the "real" version of his girlfriend in the other town, giving up his old life entirely, along with his shadow to access it -- with the knowledge that he cannot leave. He becomes so absorbed into the town, however, that even when offered a solid chance at escape from it after realizing the version of his girlfriend within the town isn't the same as outside of it, he is willing to remain there just for the chance of finding a memory in the library from the girl. 

Side note: time also seems to slow down/not really exist in the other town, which is similar to how Neverland keeps its inhabitants from aging.

All things considered, even if inspiration wasn't drawn from Peter Pan,  the other town serves as a sort of personal Neverland for Boku where he has the promise of being able to exist permanently within the happiest memories of his youth... and we see him do this when he finally discovers the dream where he and his girlfriend walk on the beach, having become young again.

 

Sloane