TYLA: Haruki Murakami's Novels from a Cultural Perspective

Author's name: Pham Thi Hanh

Thesis title:Haruki Murakami's novels from a cultural perspective.

Dissertation field: Literature

Major: Literary Theory Code: 62 22 01 20

Name of the postgraduate training unit: University of Social Sciences and Humanities - Vietnam National University, Hanoi.

1. Purpose and scope of the thesis

1.1. Purpose

DissertationHaruki Murakami's novels from a cultural perspective.Focus on the following four issues:

- Overview of the research problem.

- The foundations of modern-traditional, Eastern-Western cultural/value formations in Haruki Murakami's novels.

- Aesthetic imagery in Haruki Murakami's novels from a cultural perspective.

- Cultural codes in Haruki Murakami's novels.

1.2. Target

The subject of this thesis is the novels of H. Murakami from a cultural perspective, limited to five texts:Norwegian Forest(1987)Sputnik Lover(1999)Chronicle of the Wind-Up Bird(1992-1995)Kafka on the Shore(2002)Tazaki Tsukuru, colorless, and his years of pilgrimage.(2013)...

2. Research methods used

The thesis primarily employs several methods, including: the cultural studies approach, the biographical criticism method, the socio-historical criticism method, and the cross-sectional research method.

3. Main results and conclusions

3.1. Main results

- In theory:

This dissertation employs several research methods, including cultural studies, biographical criticism, and cultural-historical approaches. We conduct in-depth research on Murakami's works, exploring and identifying new interpretations of his works when viewed from a cultural perspective. These interpretations revolve around the context of traditional and contemporary Japanese society, particularly cultural consumerism, popular cultural spaces, and cultural codes.

- In practical terms:

Firstly, the thesis provides an overview of the current situation regarding the introduction and study of Murakami's novels in Vietnam, particularly the cultural aspects of Murakami's works.

Secondly, the thesis explains the content and artistic elements expressed in Haruki Murakami's novels from a cultural and intercultural perspective, examining the relationship between traditional and modern Japanese culture, and between modern Japanese culture and Western (American) culture. Furthermore, the thesis analyzes the various cultural paradigms (cultural subject, cultural space, aesthetic ideas, cultural codes - symbols, archetypes, etc.) expressed in Murakami's novels.

Thirdly, on a practical basis, this thesis is a testament, proving that Murakami's literature is not at all detached from traditional Japanese literature, and that through his works, Murakami has 1. re-presented contemporary Japanese culture, which is strongly influenced by Western culture, especially American popular culture; 2. created a new turning point in modern Japanese literary creation.

3.2. Conclusion

1. Murakami is a writer with a new style that many consider postmodern. He doesn't follow the traditional writing styles of his predecessors. His works are a blend of various elements: literature, film, music, the symbolic codes of traditional and modern Japanese culture, as well as American popular culture. It can be asserted that Murakami has made a significant contribution to bringing Japanese literature beyond its borders to the international stage. He is an internationalized writer.
2. From a cultural perspective, Murakami's novels are deeply imbued with traditional Japanese cultural elements, present as a layer of "cultural sediment" hidden within his texts. This traditional culture is not only vividly present through deeply ingrained traditional symbols, but also through thematic connections, symbolic systems, and archetypes. Murakami has not completely severed his cultural roots; on the contrary, traditional Japanese culture has naturally permeated and shaped his novels.
3. Murakami has incorporated elements of Western culture, popular culture, and American music into his paintings to depict the overall picture of modern Japanese culture and people today. Instead of "consuming" traditional Japanese cultural products and symbols, Murakami's characters represent a vibrant embodiment of contemporary Japanese youth, who consume Western cultural products ranging from fast food to pop and rock music.
4. The young characters are portrayed as subjects/products of culture and the times. It is evident that Haruki Murakami has successfully recreated the diverse facets of contemporary Japanese youth.
5. The aforementioned cultural subjects operate within the cultural spaces that Haruki Murakami has created. Through examining some images/symbols related to food and music in the five novels, we see that traditional Japanese cultural spaces have been overshadowed by the vivid and rich representations of modern Japanese cultural spaces. The spaces of music and food are typical examples showing the profound influence of American popular music culture on Murakami's works.

6. Murakami's novels are full of symbols and archetypes. The intricate system of symbols and archetypes interwoven into Haruki Murakami's texts gives his works a profound cultural and intellectual depth. Therefore, readers must possess a certain understanding of Japanese culture in particular, and human culture in general, to fully comprehend and grasp the artistic intent of each symbol and archetype.

                                                          SUMMARY OF DOCTORAL THESIS

The author's name:Pham Thi Hanh

Thesis title:Haruki Murakami's Novels from Cultural Perspectives

Scientific branch of the thesis: Literature

Major: Literary Theory Code: 62 22 01 20

The name of postgraduate training institution: University of Social Sciences and Humanities, VNU

1. Thesis purposes and objectives

1.1. Thesis purposes

The verdictHaruki Murakami's Novels from Cultural Perspectivesfocuses on four main issues:

- Overview of research issues.

- The forming basis of modern / traditional, Eastern / Western cultures/values ​​in Haruki Murakami's novels.

- Aesthetic images in Haruki Murakami's novels from cultural perspectives.

- Cultural codes in Haruki Murakami's novels

1.2. Objectives

The research objects of the thesis are five texts:Norwegian Wood(1987)Sputnik Sweetheart(1999)The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle(1992-1995)Kafka on the Shore(2002)Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage(2013).

2. Research methods

The thesis mainly uses a number of methods such as cultural approach, biographical criticism, historical-social criticism, inter-disciplinary criticism.

3. Major results and conclusions

3.1. The major results

- On the theoretical dimension

The doctoral thesis applies a number of research methods such as cultural methods, biographical criticism, cultural and historical criticism, etc., we conduct deep research on Murakami's works, from which discovers and points out new interpretations of his works in the light of cultural perspectives: these interpretations revolve around the context of traditional and contemporary Japanese society, especially cultural consumerism), popular cultural spaces, cultural codes.

- On the practical dimension

Firstly, the thesis generalizes the picture of introducing and studying Murakami novels in Vietnam, especially the cultural issues in Murakami's writings.

Secondly, the thesis explains the content and art elements expressed in Haruki Murakami's novels from cultural and intercultural prisms in the relationship between traditional and modern Japanese culture, between modern Japanese culture and Western culture (USA). In addition, the thesis analyzes the types of cultural patterns (cultural subjects and spaces, aesthetic ideas, cultural codes - symbols, archetypes, etc.) expressed in Murakami's novels.

Thirdly, on a practical basis, this thesis is a proof proving that Murakami's writings are not unfamiliar with traditional Japanese literature, and at the same time through his writings, Murakami has 1. represented about contemporary Japanese culture, which is strongly influenced by Western culture, especially American popular culture; 2. Established a new turning point in composing modern Japanese literature.

3.2.Revisions

1. Murakami is a writer with a new writing style considered as a postmodern writing style. He does not follow the traditional composition of his predecessors. His works are a mixture of different materials: literature, films, music, symbolic codes of traditional and modern Japanese culture as well as American popular culture. It can be asserted that Murakami has an indispensable part in popularizing and innovating Japanese literature away from the Japanese border to the world. He is an international writer.

2. From cultural perspectives, it can be seen that Murakami's writings are still imbued with traditional Japanese cultural elements, which present as the “cultural sedimentary layer”. The traditional culture is not only vividly present through the traditional symbols that are deeply rooted in the collective consciousness, but also through the topical, thematic and symbolic inter-relationships. Murakami did not completely cut off his “cultural roots”. Contrary, Japanese traditional culture itself, naturally, was imbued and shaped in his novels.

3. Murakami illustrates the disparity Western cultural colors, popular culture and American music to show the panorama vision of modern Japanese culture and people. Murakami's characters instead of “consuming” traditional Japanese cultural products and symbols, they are present as the vivid representations of modern Japanese youth. They consume products originating in Western culture, for instances ranging from fast food to pop and rock music.

4. Young people present the subjects/products of culture and time. As can be seen, Haruki Murakami has represented various aspects of contemporary Japanese youth.

5. The above cultural objects operate in the cultural spaces created by Haruki Murakami. Through examining numerous images/symbols of cuisine and music in the five novels, we can see that the traditional Japanese cultural space has eclipsed by the vivid and abundant representations of the modern Japanese cultural spaces. Music and culinary space are one of the distinctive spaces that shows the profound influence of American popular music culture in Murakami's writings.

6. Murakami's novels contain full of symbols and archetypes, entangled in Haruki Murakami's texts. They give his works have deep cultural and ideological characteristics. Since then, readers are required to have specific knowledge related to Japanese culture in particular and human culture, in general, to be able to explain and understand the artistic intentions of each symbol and archetype.