Just finished Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami.
I have a theory, but can’t quite make it work. So, I’m hoping you all in #BookStadon #bookclub #books can help me out.
The theory: each of the main characters represents a chakra.
Crown: Naoko
Third Eye: Reiko
Throat: Wantanabe
Heart: Midori
Solar Plexus: Unsure, the reader, maybe
Sacral: Nagasawa
Root: Stormtrooper, maybe.
Is this something?
1/4
High degree of confidence:
Naoko-all in her head, as far as possible from the sacral. Hair slide is a visual reference point
Reiko-intermediary between Naoko and Watanabe. Sees their struggles from a perspective brought by age
Watanabe-narrator and writer in the novel’s present. Perpetually complemented by Midori on the way he speaks. Says the right things when she needs them
Midori-name means green. She loves and loves uninhibitedly. Professes it for Watanabe
Nagasawa. Sex, sex unabashed sex
2/
Lesser degree of confidence:
Root: Stormtrooper-foundational for Watanabe’s journey to adulthood and a basis for his relationships with others. Stutters, farthest from the throat chakra. Knows his being-ness in maps. Could also be Solar Plexus because he acts on his being-ness
Solar Plexus: The reader-breaks the 4th wall and brings me in as the doer, the “page-turner”, filling a void in the story, motivating action by me in real life in the face of the other themes. Could also be Root
3/4
If these last two are flipped, then it’s a better reference to song lyrics:
“She asked me to stay and she told me to sit anywhere. So I looked around and I noticed there wasn't a chair”
The notable lack of one chakra could also not be for the reader but instead might intimate a lack of balance and help explain each other characters’ clear struggles.
4/4
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