Wednesday, March 4, 2009
week 2-setting
This book takes place in the alive, modern day Tokyo. Even though the setting is in an energetic, hip city, bustling with people, the main character seems to be secluded form all this action. He chooses to spend time in his empty apartment, blah office building, and at the café down the street. I think that the quietly dead café resembles the main characters life in a way, because they are both reserved and undisturbed, yet they have an intriguing edginess about them. Both have undiscovered talents and ability that just haven’t been unleashed. The main character spends most of his time in these sad and unenergetic places and when he finally ventures out in the limo and travels to the mansion, he is awestruck. Whole pages are used to describe how mesmerized he is with the scenery and the monstrosity of a house. This portion of the book shows how secluded he really is, considering that he is a grown man and he describes this mansion experience as though he was a five year old going to the zoo for the first time, amazed by the wonders this world has to offer. This main character lives a very odd life and the setting of the book seems to fit right in with his personality. His thoughts and actions seem to be stifled by this lifeless setting, yet he almost seems to enjoy the boredom of his lifestyle. If given the opportunity to move and to finally find a sense of direction in his life, do you think he would take it?
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I never considered the main character childish. The way I interpreted the scene when he's gazing at the mansion was more like the beginning of the myth/supernatural journey. Before that, his life was totally normal, afterwards, it goes in a really weird direction. It was like the Crossing of the Threshold in a monomyth.
ReplyDeleteYou bring up a good question about what would happen if he was given the opportunity to find a sense of direction. Part of me thinks that he would run back to his old, boring life. He does seem to like it that way. At the same time I have to keep hoping the his 'wild sheep chase' will bring him a direction and purpose in life.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you Rebecca. He seems to be stuck in a rut and even if he was offered an opportunity to escape, I don't think he would take it. I am also hoping that future events will help him to discover his true self.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your 'stuck in a rut' theory, but what if this is it? What if the rest of the book doesn't bring any change for him? Wouldn't it go back the whole 'once mediocre, always mediocre' theory?
ReplyDeleteThat's a really good point, Reed. I mean, as the reader we should know that there IS a setting. This huge city full of people. However, the point remains that he is completely excluding himself from this world. Yet again, more insight to his personality.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Athena about the childish remark because I have a lot of difficulty naming this main character childish, bored yes but not childish...
ReplyDeleteAlso I think that at the beginning of the book he is in the clam before the storm kind of situation where he is bored before adventure!
Irini
I had never thought of the main character as sheltered before. I think that he sees reality, but chooses to ignore it. I guess you could say he was sheltering himself, but I agree with Athena that the visit to the bossman's house is the just like the crossing of the treshold. I think that the chacter wouldn't choose to change, but through the sheep chase will change subconciously.
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