In class we discussed the concept of the main body and shadow, and the origin of the town. Regardless of whether the narrator is the shadow or the real body, it seems that the protagonist is more interested in meeting the version of the girl in the town, while being attached to her shadow (as she claims)—the part of her outside. Although he frequently exchanges letters with the girl, he is always thinking about the town. I think this dynamic with the girl and the town is like other stories about real life vs. a dream/ideal world. The colorful descriptions at the beginning of the novel and the nuance of their conversations should be better than the cold, ritualistic life in the town, yet he decides to stay in the town. This may be partly due to the girl outside disappearing, which would make him search for a secondary source of happiness. He clings to her 16-year old image. I think it’s also possible that both of them simply believe the town is more important to them than the real world, the girl becoming depressed, and the protagonist constantly searching for the “real” part of her. When reading these chapters I had the idea of a “good ending”—his moving on and searching for meaning in the outside world. However, he continues to hold on to his past, and his shadow comments that there is something unsettling about the town. I think whether intentional or not, the novel brings forth a theme of cherishing reality, which the genre of magical realism or surrealism draws us away from. It’s worth considering this while rooting for the narrator.
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