TYLA: Haruki Murakami's Novels from a Cultural Perspective

Author 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 research objects of the thesis

1.1. Purpose

ThesisHaruki Murakami's Novels from a Cultural PerspectiveFocus on the following four issues:

- Overview of the research problem.

- The basis for the formation of modern - traditional, Eastern - Western culture/values ​​in Haruki Murakami's novels.

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

- Cultural codes in Haruki Murakami's novels.

1.2. Subject

The research object of the thesis is H. Murakami's novels from a cultural perspective, limited to the scope of 5 texts:Norwegian Wood(1987),Sputnik Sweetheart(1999),The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle(1992-1995),Kafka on the Shore(2002),Colorless Tazaki Tsukuru and His Years of Pilgrimage(2013)...

2. Research methods used

The thesis mainly uses a number of methods such as: cultural approach, biographical criticism method, historical-social criticism method, and interdisciplinary research method.

3. Main results and conclusions

3.1. Main results

- In theory:

The thesis applies a number of research methods such as: cultural method, biographical criticism method, cultural method, history..., we deeply study Murakami's works, thereby discovering and pointing out new interpretations of his works when viewed from a cultural perspective: These interpretations revolve around the context of traditional and contemporary Japanese society, especially cultural consumerism, popular cultural spaces, cultural codes...

- In practice:

Firstly, the thesis outlines the situation of introducing and researching Murakami's novels in Vietnam, especially the cultural issues in Murakami's works.

Second, the thesis explains the content and artistic elements expressed in Haruki Murakami's novels from cultural and intercultural elements in the relationship between traditional and modern Japanese culture, between modern Japanese culture and Western (American) culture. In addition, the thesis also analyzes the types of cultural models (cultural subjects, cultural spaces, aesthetic ideas, cultural codes - symbols, archetypes...) expressed in Murakami's novels.

Thirdly, based on practice, this thesis is a proof, proving that Murakami's literature is not far from traditional Japanese literature, at the same time with 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 writing style that many people consider to be postmodern. He does not follow the traditional writing style of his predecessors. His works are a blend of many different materials: literature, cinema, music, symbols of traditional and modern Japanese cultural life as well as American popular culture. It can be affirmed that Murakami is the one who has made great contributions in bringing Japanese literature beyond the borders of Japan to the international level. He is an international writer.
2. From a cultural perspective, it can be seen that Murakami’s novels still contain elements of traditional Japanese culture, which are present as a layer of “cultural sediment” hidden deep in his novels. That traditional culture is not only vividly present through traditional symbols that have been deeply rooted in the collective consciousness, but also through the correlations of themes, topics, symbolic systems and archetypes. Murakami has not completely severed his “umbilical cord”, his cultural roots; on the contrary, traditional Japanese culture itself has naturally permeated and shaped his novels.
3. Murakami paints his picture with the colors of Western culture, American pop culture and music to show the whole picture of modern Japanese culture and people today. Murakami's characters, instead of "consuming" traditional Japanese cultural products and symbols, they appear as a vivid representation of today's Japanese youth, they consume Western cultural products from fast food to pop and rock music.
4. The image of young people appears as subjects/products of culture and time. It can be seen that Haruki Murkami has recreated different aspects of contemporary Japanese youth.
5. The above mentioned cultural subjects operate in the cultural spaces that Haruki Murakami has created. Through examining some images/symbols of cuisine and music in the five novels, we see that the traditional Japanese cultural space has been overshadowed by the vivid and rich representations of the modern Japanese cultural space. The space of music and cuisine is one of the typical types of space that shows the profound influence of American popular music culture in Murakami's works.

6. Murakami’s novels are full of symbols and archetypes. The system of symbols and archetypes entangled in Haruki Murakami’s writings gives his works a deep cultural and ideological depth. Therefore, readers must have a certain understanding of Japanese culture in particular and human culture in general to be able to interpret and comprehend the artistic intention 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 dissertationHaruki Murakami's Novels from Cultural Perspectivesfocuses on 04 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.Conclusions

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.